Remember Me
by FanaticOfFandoms
Summary: Sakura loses her memory after an intense fight. Sasuke's determined to help her heal and remember her past, no matter how painful it will be. Meanwhile, chaos ensues through out the Shinobi World. (Some smut)
1. Open Ears and Eyes

**Title**: Remember Me

**Genre**: Romance; Drama; some humor.

**Rated**: M for violence and sexual situations.

**Characters**: Sasuke and Sakura (mainly); some OC's that only appear once in a while for comical purposes, or plot device

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One.<strong>

Open Ears and Eyes

Green eyes remain open in the dark. It is past midnight, and Sakura is yet to sleep. Beside her, Sasuke's chest heaves rhythmically as he is in silent slumber. She turns to look at her sleeping lover with jealousy, as she can't get to sleep. For the most part, she spends her time thinking about the day before, and thinks about how her day will go later today.

Her thoughts are interrupted when Sasuke jolts violently in bed. He snaps his entire weight forward, bringing himself to sit up with his hands against his eyes.

Another nightmare.

He breathes heavily, tears seeping from his angry and closed eyes. Sakura sits up with him and presses her hand against his back.

"It's okay," she gently says, though it is not enough to stop the grown man from grunting in some pain he feels. It is not an illusion, though whatever pain he is imagining has caused him trouble in the past.

Sakura sighs and coaxes his hands to leave their place against his wet face. "Sasuke," she tries again and this time he accepts her warm embrace. "Oh, Sasuke." With his weight against hers, Sakura settles down back on the bed with a mountain of two pillows underneath her head for support.

Under their bedsheets, Sakura lays with his head against her chest. He's not asleep just yet, but he is drifting. His quick breathing has settled now, and the soothing beating of her heart thumping in his left ear leaves him at ease. Sakura runs her thumb gently against each eye, wiping away the formed tear drops that makes her heart drop whenever she sees them.

"Are you okay now?" she asks.

He nods.

She smiles down at him, feeling his heavy head rub against her. He is like a child, she thinks. A child at age 25 who she will lovingly embrace whenever he needed to be. Her right hand is slowly running across his soft, dark hair as the other rubs his cheek, and then his bare back. He hums something, that she cannot hear, though she doesn't stress much about it.

"I hope your mom held you like this," she suddenly says.

Sasuke smiles and mutters, "Kind of like this, but she hummed to me to get me back to sleep."

Sakura lightly chuckles. "How unfortunate. I have a terrible voice for singing."

He nudges his head, to look up at her silhouette in the darkness of their bedroom. His head rests lightly upon her right breast. "I've heard you sing before… I can't say you're that awful."

Sakura laughs as she strokes his hair. "It's one thing hearing me sing in the shower where the acoustics give off the illusion of a good sound."

He chuckles. Sasuke reaches up to kiss her chin before settling back into her arms. His right arm wraps around her small waist and he breathes in deeply, trying to cling onto her a bit tighter. "I love you, you know," he silently says as he closes his eyes. Sakura wonders whether this is the something he was muttering not long ago, and she finds herself smiling.

She kisses the top of his head, hearing his breathing and feeling his breath hit her arm. The weight of his body is not at all bothersome. She holds him tightly as his body grows limp as they grow lost within sleep.

#

The morning sun is Sakura's only alarm; which is why their bed was placed where she can feel the warmth of the sun hit her face. She finds herself still wrapped in Sasuke's arms. She doesn't want to wake him, but the sunbeams that have hit her also awakened him.

"You should go back to sleep," she whispers.

Sasuke yawns as he sits up. "I'm fine," he says.

Sakura stands from the bed and takes her shirt that is casually hanging from the chair on the other side of the room. Sasuke watches as his wife removes her nightgown. He smiles slyly as he moves away silently from the bed, using his deadly ninja abilities to not be discovered in movement. Before Sakura could pull her head out of the shirt, she feels Sasuke's hands on her waist, catching her by surprise.

He kisses her lightly on the neck once, and parts his lips to say, "I'm sorry."

She turns to see him, pulling each arm through the sleeves. "What for?"

"Startling you." He snakes his arms around her.

"It's fine, Sasuke, I understand. I wasn't asleep anyway." She kisses his cheek and runs her hands against his arms. He leans toward her, but a single finger stops his lips from reaching hers. "I have to leave soon, Sasuke."

He moves away her finger and kisses her anyway, pushing her against the wall behind her and runs a busy hand up her shirt while the other searches between her legs, over the soft fabric of her pink panties. Sakura pulls away from his kiss, and laughs when his hand firmly squeezes her left breast and feels his hand under her panties.

"Sasuke," she breathes and he goes forward to kiss her lips, cheek, and neck. "Sasuke, I'm serious."

He stops at the collarbone and removes his hands from her body. "If you say so."

Before he leaves her to finish changing, she pulls his head to her, tiptoeing to steal one more kiss. "Maybe when my shift's over," she says. He smirks and walks into the bathroom.

#

"_Eh?_ But the bed was right there. Sasuke could have easily carried you to the bed!"

Tenten has invited Sakura, Ino, Karui, Temari and Hinata over to her weaponry shop for breakfast.

"Geez, Tenten," Ino snaps, "that's passion."

The woman smiles slyly and takes a sip of coffee. "Sure, but have you ever been the dominant one, Ino?"

The blond blushes. _"Of course."_

"She married Sai, after all," comments Temari.

Sakura laughs, as does Karui. Hinata only giggles under her hand.

_"Shut up already!"_

The girls laugh a little harder this time as they see the frustration in her eyes. Tenten taps her hand and shrugs.

"How about you, Karui?"

The dark female shrugs. "Chōij is possessive."

"That's all?" Tenten asks.

"Of course, what else can I say?" Karui blushes as she taps her chin as though her words brought back some memory of the both of them.

The girls look at her with curiosity.

"What?" she asks.

_Tell us_, say their eyes.

Karui sighs. "He's good with… His _tongue_."

The girls look at Karui in awe, as Hinata blushes on.

"My, my, how does it feel hearing things like this about your teammates, eh, Ino?" Tenten elbows Ino who is blushing away.

"Damn I'm not gonna' be able to look at them in the eye anymore…"

"Speaking of teammates," Temari says, "Shikamaru does this thing with his fingers, and-"

_"Enough already,"_ Ino shrieks. "This conversation was a bad idea."

Sakura laughs, and then looks over to see Hinata quietly looking down at her cup of tea. The idea of this conversation was brought in by Tenten who talked about the date she had last night with some male shinobi of this village.

"Hinata you're being quiet," Sakura says.

"Um…"

"That's because she doesn't want to be asked about Naruto," Temari says. "She's pregnant, after all."

"I want to know," Tenten says.

"Well, um…" Hinata can't find the words to say, but feels an obligation to speak as the other women already shared their stories. "Naruto, um…"

Sakura sighs. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, Hinata."

She smiles. "He's loving, and tries hard to make me happy." It was a simple and vague answer, and the women around the table knew that her answer would be something like that. But her expression changes: she furrows her eyebrows and smiles very slyly. "He tries hard to make me happy, so he always tries to do something different."

Tenten chokes on her coffee as Karui repeatedly taps on her back to help her.

"Oi…" Temari breathes. "Lucky you."

Sakura laughs as does Hinata.

"How've you been feeling?" Ino asks Hinata.

"Good. I just get a little tired is all."

Their conversations about their husbands end as they sip their hot and cold beverages and eat their sweets. Sakura is the first to stand from her seat. "I have to go now, ladies, but it was fun catching up with you guys."

The girls look up to see her in frustration, though they know she leads a busy schedule. They bid her a good day and watch her leave the shop.

Sakura walks with haste and eventually finds herself running through the streets. The people of Konoha know her too well. Sakura Haruno (and now fairly known as) Uchiha; Strongest Woman in the Shinobi world,;The One Who Surpassed Tsunade Senju; The One Who Punched Kaguya; Hero of the War… The list of names goes on and on, as each folk shares their version of the story.

While others who know of her and not actually know her, create new titles for her and her adventures, Sakura must deal with the farfetched tales when new Academy students, or regular citizens and tourists ask her how she dealt with the flying dragon, or despicable man with a star for a head (when in reality it was a lizard that crawled down her shirt during last month's mission, and her charismatic father that tried to test her daughter's ability by doing push ups). Every story she tells one person is exaggerated by the tenth story-teller.

She's not the only Shinobi of her generation who deals with such nonsense, why, Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, and the others have been beckoned by the children who wonder which stories were true.

A boy stops her in her tracks. Wiping sweat on her brow, she breathes in and out rapidly. Damn, to be tired already, she must be getting old…

_"Miss?"_

"Yeah?"

The boy awkwardly hides his hands behind his back. "Do you mind coming down here so I can tell you in private?"

So the woman who had surpassed one of the Legendary Sanin goes down on one knee and leans in to hear this shy boy's words. She thinks that he's like any other child who needs proof that the story his parents, or whomever spoke the lies he's unsure he should believe are true.

"Yeah?" She beckons him to speak forward.

His lips part, as to say what he needed to say. He's a child, around age 9, most likely, and the first child to ever steal away a kiss from her that was not Sasuke Uchiha, her husband.

The bewildered woman snarled under he breath as the boy laughed and gained cheers from his male pals on the other side of the street. The woman who can be called a Sanin herself raises a fist in the air while locals watch in envy, or in fear for they know what Sakura is truly capable, regardless of whom she faces.

_"You little snot!"_

The boy laughs and runs toward his group of friends as Sakura follows behind him. And who in their right mind could think that they could out run Sakura? Though she can be seen as slightly weaker than Naruto, or Sasuke, Sakura is indeed the strongest, and in some ways, the fastest. A single swoop down to his collar catches him by surprise. She holds him there with a single pinch, fabric of his shirt between thumb and index finger.

_"Dammit, she looks like beast!"_ A plump boy shouts, and he, too, gets to feel the same fear that first boy feels now. Sakura takes hold of him in the same way, and the other children quake on the ground with fear.

_"We're sorry!"_ The unison and quivering in their voices make Sakura believe they truly regret their actions, though they really had nothing to do with the first boy's plans.

_"Don't kill us!"_ the plump boy cries.

"My, my, who's idea was that?"

The boys oddly look at one another. Sakura devilishly giggles, and there, they can see the true form of a devilish woman. A devilish woman is something their fathers always warn them about.

The plump boy finally confesses it was a dare, and Sakura smirks.

"It isn't in my right to pass judgement on how you should be punished, I'm gonna let you go. But I'll remember you, and if you put that same shit again with another woman, I'll make sure to be the one to discipline you!"

They tremble, of course, under the nose of Sakura (now known) Uchiha.

_"We're sorry!"_

_"You better damn well be!"_ She lets go of the two who have truly tasted fear. Sakura laughs as she notices them run off the opposite direction.

Three of them had forehead protectors hidden in their pockets. They were probably genin, something that makes Sakura giggle under her breath, for she believes if they showed no fear kissing a woman at her caliber, they will be as reckless as Naruto, and maybe as strong as she, but never as wise as Sasuke.

She walks forward again, and takes note of how the bystanders looked at her. She sighs, taking her hand against her forehead and shakes her head in embarrassment. _I can imagine the stories now: Sakura Uchiha! –kills two boys with one hand!_

#

Naruto and Sasuke are walking by the hospital. The blond laughs a little each time he sees the dark haired man.

"What's so funny all of a sudden? You've been laughing ever since I met with you."

Naruto wipes away a tear that has been surfacing. "It's just… I've heard things from our dear Sasuke that I wouldn't have expected hearing."

Though he is naturally a curious man and has always been, Sasuke shrugs, and merely mutters, "whatever." But he has a need to know what is truly going on in this guy's head that made him blush and laugh hysterically whenever their eyes met, or whenever Sasuke spoke.

"So you don't want to know?"

"Spit it out already, idiot!"

The blond smirks and sighs. He shrugs and says, "I don't know."

_"Bastard, tell me!"_

Naruto laughs again, catching himself on Sasuke's shoulder to keep himself from falling. As his laughter died out and Sasuke impatiently waited, ten minutes have passed.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you," he breathes. "I heard from somebody that you're quite touchy when it comes to sex."

Sasuke's eyes widen and his cheeks are in flames, or so, they feel as if.

"Wh-_what_… Who-Who told you that!"

That is when the blond continued to walk. Sasuke grabs his shoulder and violently jerks him back. "The hell, tell me!"

"The wives get together, and—"

_"Dammit, your wife told you?"_

"_Eh, no way!_ Actually, Sai told me what Ino told him!"

"This is so embarrassing…"

Naruto laughs. "Makes me wonder what Hinata says about me, you know?" Naruto winks and Sasuke can only shake his head.

"She was probably too embarrassed to talk since you have so many short comings, dumbass," Sasuke says and proceeds to walk.

_"Asshole! Come back and say it to my face!"_

#

"What's all that yelling outside?"

"Who knows?"

Sakura is sitting behind a large desk as her brunette student Aiko sifts through papers by the window.

"Hey, Sensei, isn't that your husband?"

Sakura peers over the large book she is reading. "Hm? Probably… If he's the cause of all that racket out there, then I bet Naruto's with him."

"Yeah, he is," she replies with a smile. "He's so handsome…"

Sakura chuckles. "Well, that isn't the only reason I married him."

"No, no," says Aiko and she clasps her hands near her chest. "I'm talking about Mr. Uzumaki!"

Sakura widens her eyes when she sees the childish acts of her student. She remembers when she watched Sasuke from afar in that similar way. Like teacher, like student, she begins to think and continues to look down at the teeny words in the book.

"Too bad he's married…"

"And you're also underage."

"Yeah…"

Aiko moves her brown eyes away from the window and takes a fat folder of papers into her hands. She walks to Sakura and places them there over other stacks of important documents and old medical scrolls.

"Are you looking for anything specific?"

Sakura sighs and closes the book with a loud thump before looking up to see her student. "Not exactly. I'm just trying to refresh my memory. I have surgery to do tomorrow, you see."

"Ah." Aiko looks around and takes notice of the sorry state of disorganization in the office and wonders if the retired Sanin, Tsunade had such a habit herself. And so, she begins to imagine the Hokage office with unchecked documents piling here and there. She bets the woman slept beneath a pile of papers, too.

The thought that had so quickly covered her mind, releases and her attention soon turns to the window again where she wonders if Naruto Uzumaki is still down there yelling with such anger, but he is gone now. She sees a couple of jōnin teachers walking with their cells of three students behind them and smiles.

"Hey, Sensei?"

Sakura looks up to see Aiko, but also places a finger to mark her last read line. "Yeah?"

"When do you think you'll have time to teach me some of your amazing earth-destructing jutsu?"

"Hopefully soon… You have missions to worry about, and I have the hospital with additions of missions to worry about myself… Let's hope it's anytime soon."

"You don't have to teach me if you don't want to… I'm still genin."

"And you'll be chunin soon." Sakura gives her a reassuring smile, and Aiko smiles back.

"You think I'll pass this year, Sensei?"

"Of course. It took me a while, and look at where I am now…"

Aiko raises an eyebrow and smirks. "_A cluttered office?_"

The gear woman sighs, then laughs. "Nice one."

Sakura's eyes look down at the scroll she only recently picked up, but is interrupted by a loud knock at the door.

"_Shit_," the woman mutters and Aiko answers, "come in" for her master.

A tall dark haired Shinobi, one Sakura has seen, yet knows nothing of him steps forward. He is under jōnin level, but couldn't possibly be genin himself.

"What is it?" Sakura asks firmly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Lord Kakashi requests your presence."

_"Now?"_

"He said to take your time, though it is a matter of great importance."

Sakura groans in frustration as the male looks on with an awkward feeling overtaking him. He hasn't once heard a woman groan so loudly before him except for his mother. And whenever he heard his mother with those vocals he could only imagine she was in pain, or frustrated.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Idiot, have you no respect? Aiko asks. "She was singing just now!"

"Eh?" His cheeks feel hot and he has been overcome with embarrassment. "I am so sorry…"

Aiko giggles and Sakura stands from her chair. "She's kidding with you… Trust me, if I sang you'd fall dead."

"Not at all, sensei!"

"Well, then, shall we go?"

The Shinobi man nods as sweat dripped from his brow.

"Aiko. You're excused for the day."

"Oh, thank you."

The woman and the male walk hurriedly through the hallways as others watched in curiosity. Before exiting the building, the man looks over his shoulder to see Sakura.

"S-Sakura Sensei?"

"Yes?"

"If I ask you something, would you answer?"

"If I answer this question, will that be it?"

He laughs nervously. "Um, no… I was wondering if it was true that you single handedly beat up two genin students early this morning."

Her eyes look up to see him. She furrows her eyebrows and finds herself smiling beneath her hand that now covers her face. "Hm, I wonder where you heard that one from…"

* * *

><p><em>Thank you for reading the first chapter (whether you liked it or not)! I hope to update every Saturday, or any time sooner for this story in particular. I decided to write another SasuSaku fic since I've got mostly positive reviews from the previous one, so thank you, if you are a returning reader. :)<em>

_[Last Updated: Saturday 01-24-14] _


	2. Matters

Remember Me

_M for violence and sexual situations. And dare I repeat, sexual situations. Like, seriously. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Matters

Sasuke jerks his hips against Sakura, whom gladly takes him in for the last time before he collapses against her. Sweat drips from his face and onto her bare chest. He kisses each breast so carefully, hearing his pink haired wife gasping for air. Little moans escape her pink lips before she finally gains realization that she is back from a world of ecstasy. She holds him in her arms before he wriggles above her and completely pulls out from within her. He's still gasping, and rolls over the bed with a single grunt and a smile of satisfaction imprinted on his face.

She rolls to him and he receives her with an arm around her neck. He strokes her back slowly and she feels that same tingle she only experienced a while ago when he pushed her against the front door and pulled off her shirt.

"You think we should have kids soon?" Sakura asks suddenly. This is the third time she has brought up this conversation in four months. Each time Sasuke shrugs, though he feels compelled to impregnate his wife to finally fulfill their dream to have children. He knows that the revival of the Uchiha clan has been his dream for a long time, but as he grew older, the thought of a woman's vagina, or the thought of sex overall intimidated him. Sexual education was the least of his favorite classes to take back at the Academy. It brought the reality of having children to play in his mind, and with all those girls running behind him for his approval was beginning to frustrate him and frighten him. Not once did he ever think he'd marry one of the girls who fanned over him all those many years ago,

But she loved him for so long, and he'd be lying if he didn't say the same. So he gave his heart out to her just as she gave his those many years ago. His intimidations had come to pass the moment she agreed to marry him. The single thought of laying with her nude in a bed they both share lets him know that he had truly fulfilled happiness. She is beautiful and she is his.

"I want one," he says confidently. "It's up to you." The thought crossed his mind. He imagines a little dark haired child in Sakura's arms and smiles to himself.

She runs her hand against his abdomen. "I guess since I'll be carrying it for nine months."

Nine months carrying an infant… This child will cause the mother so much pain when being brought into this world, and then most probably later in life when he, or she decides to hurt her again. It is a cruel life, he thinks, one that people have not accepted, yet still go through the same phase as if it weren't a real problem.

Sasuke looks down at Sakura who is lost in some deep thought, and is probably thinking the same thing he was moments ago. He takes a deep breath and cups his hand against her exposed breast and kisses her forehead she still thinks is too large, but he doesn't mind at all. She responds to his touch with her hand sliding down further to where she can feel his member nice and warm, and very much erect.

"Again?" she asks, and he responds with a simple smile. It's the same devilish smile that has made her blush for the longest time. So, yes, she blushes as her hand comes back out from under the sheet and she suddenly feels like the teenage girl she was when thinking about

him. He kisses her lips and thinks of how innocent she plays whenever he smiles at her during these special times.

He takes up the lead again and brings himself down to her breasts, taking one into his hand while sucking and kissing the other. She moans excitedly, feeling herself become hot and much more alive.

And then she instantly remembered what she was supposed to tell him when she walked through the front door.

"Sasuke," she says in a mere whisper.

"Hm?" he hums and takes his hand down, hiding it beneath the blanket, and hiding his fingers so very well inside her. Sakura gasps, and whenever he heard her make such a sound, he needed to please her more so he can be pleased. He feels her juices escaping that particular area. She is very much wet, and he is very well damned pleased, and feels he should just feel her warmth again at this moment, but decides to tease her s little more to the brink of her asking him to finally let her have release.

"I needed to talk to you about something," she says and takes her hand against her mouth when she feels his fingers wriggle within her. "Haa," she breathes suddenly. This is a rush: It is so cold, yet so warm. Chills run down her spine and goosebumps form everywhere on her exposed skin. Sasuke sucks on her other nipple and can feel the bumps against his lips and nose.

His palm rubs against her nib as his fingers play with her. His tongue is still toying with her grown breasts that are slowly becoming more and more swollen with need.

He stops for a bit and looks up to see Sakura who can neither speak, nor look at him. "What did you want to talk about?" He asks so casually as if nothing was going on. This charm of his excites her to no extent and she feels so glad to have married this man other women call a mystery.

Sakura takes in a deep breath and looks down to see her husband's dark eyes meet hers. She moves a little, but falls weak once more when she feels his fingers still digging into her. He likes seeing her like this: lost for words, and weak to his very touch and gaze. Most of all, he liked feeling, tasting, and hearing her whenever their nights were filled with this much passion.

"Kakashi gave me a mission," she says. She found her lost breath and is not looking at him with a bit more confidence.

"Oh," he says.

"Yeah…"

"What rank?"

"I don't think it matters right now."

She feels his fingers leave their hiding spot whilst his eyes are still on her. This was surely a bad time to bring up this matter. She watches him lick up those remaining juices of hers. It'd s bit embarrassing, yet she is excited for him. _Damn, why did I say anything at all?_

"It matters a lot. You're a jōnin of high caliber with excellent survival skills. Everyone else is booked and set for their own missions… He'd only call you if-" He stops and rolls off her, bringing a hand to his forehead. "It's S-Ranked isn't it?"

"Yes," she says in a way that makes it seem as though she is intimidated by the idea herself.

"I don't like this," he says. "I know you're strong and capable, but it sounds like something that will take you away from me."

"I've been in S-Ranks before, Sasuke," she says in a matter-of-fact way.

"Yes," he replies, "But with a trustworthy comrade. I'll talk to Kakashi."

"No, it's been done. I'm leaving at noon."

The man shakes his head in disapproval and she sighs, wondering if she can bring her man back into action like he was so willingly this morning, or just now.

"If it makes you feel any better, he tasked the assignment to me because only a medical ninja can do this."

He doesn't budge.

"There's a place a bit far from here that have sick children who need emergency care. Other medical ninja from other villages have been dispatched to help, but need the help of the predecessor's pupil."

He looks to see her and cups his hand under her chin. "I still don't like it. Why is it S-Rank if it's only to treat sick children?"

"It's an emergency. I would have left the minute he assigned me the mission, but Kakashi told me not to haste myself or I'll end up too tired to even work."

"Hm…"

Sakura looks over to see that Sasuke's erection had suddenly vanished beneath the sheets and she looked over to see his face. A look of worry spread all around him that his body was just not reacting anymore to her touch.

"So…?"

He sighs profoundly. "I don't think so… Not now, at least."

He kisses her cheek goodnight before turning over. Within a minute he was fast asleep. Sakura runs her fingers through her hair and firmly tugs on her locks with frustration. _Good fucking job, Sakura!_ she angrily thinks to herself. The pink haired ninja sighs in defeat and turns off the lamp on her night stand.

#

Sakura lies awake in the bed as the morning sun just hits her in the eyes. She's been the first one to wake for the past few weeks as duty calls. She is yet to stand, shower, and get dressed. Still frustrated from last night, she wonders if she can coax her husband from his sleep to suddenly have him overtake her; kiss her; need her; make love to her.

She gently taps his arm, but he's out cold. She sighs in frustration and only leaves the comfortable warmth of the bed to head towards the shower.

As the warm water runs through the shower head, Sasuke hears the sound of water cascading and is completely awake. Sakura is no longer beside him, so he stands, still fully nude and surprisingly erect. Last night ended in dissatisfaction, and he wants to claim some of that hype he loves whenever he has her near in that same way. If she does decide to leave this after noon (and no question about it, Sakura will leave), he wanted to make sure she understood how much he needs her.

He finds her behind the textured glass that made her figure so hard to see. Sasuke slides the door open and takes her into his arms as she rinsed some soap from her body. She is well toned, but not as muscular as some other female Shinobi he has seen in his life time.

Sasuke runs his hands down her entire body, taking in every single detail; from the curves of her hips, ass, and breasts, to the very spot that made him crazy with immense pleasure.

Sakura can feel it against her bottom. This can only be the third time they've tried to have sex in the shower. Other times ended in some horrible way that if the stories are told, they can only be reserved for some comedic scene in a movie, or television show.

Sakura feels his tongue lick her neck as his hands squeeze down firmly on her breasts. She moans, and that moan only excited Sasuke a bit more. She decided not to turn around. She parts her legs as he leans her against the cold, white tiled walls of the shower. She moans a little more, breathing in and out quickly as his fingers toy with her most sensitive places on her body. And he directs his hard cock into her aching wetness profoundly. She gasps in surprise and excitement, feeling a thrill go through out her entire body. He runs himself against her over and over, grunting a little as he pushes in harder, harder, harder; driving himself mad with all of this overwhelming desire. She cries out in pleasure, and each time she does so, it only makes him ache.

"Sasuke…" She breathes the name of her lover. Again, she tries, only this time the name she forms in her mouth comes out as a long fully dreaded groan.

_"Sa-ku-ra…"_ Even his words are straining. His movements are a little slower now. His hands run against her body, and her hips plead him to continue that same pace he held before. But his hands, or so, the touch she receives from him at last tell her to take their time.

His thick member slides in and out of her with ease as her own juices continue to drip and blend in with the clear water at their feet. As Sakura enjoys his sweet touch and the groping of her wet breasts, his hips move somewhat faster.

Once again, the excitement grows at a quickened pace. He feels her walls squeeze him tightly, and he grunts into her ear. They're so close…

_"Sasuke,"_ she breathes.

"Hmm?" It's a dreaded hum that can only come out of him, if not a long breath.

"I'm gonna'… _I can't…_"

He hums again, though it was more of an, _"uh-hum,"_ and he thrusts himself against her harder and faster until finally he came within her, as she came.

Sakura is gasping and leaning against the wall. A tiredness she should have felt last night overcomes her and she can't help but feel so vulnerable. It was a strange high. It was the kind of high any creature could get without the need of a drug. She can't help but smile hysterically, touching her lips with the tips of her fingers. She giggles a bit as well.

The feel of his penis sliding out of her is accompanied by more chills. The warm water she felt pouring on her body seems like a pointless way to get warm in this cold interior. There is no warmth on earth, she thinks, that can warm up a chill like that.

Sasuke puts his hands on her shoulders and brings his head against her back.

"I love you," he says as calmly as he can for his breathing is still hard.

"I—I love you, too."

He breathes in deeply, inhaling and exhaling the steam of the bathroom, and the sweet scent of roses from the soap she's been using.

"I love you," he repeats. "Which is why you can't go on that mission."

#

Sakura leaves the house with a worried husband inside. She kissed him goodbye and he hugged her as firmly as she does whenever he awakens from a bad dream. If she closes her eyes, she can still feel his body on top of hers heavily. As he feels safe within her arms, she feels safe within his. So she leaves the house with a smile, and a trickling tear and promises him in a spiritual kind of way that she will return safely. And they will continue to live happily together and have children to prosper. Years from now, there will be two, no, maybe four or five grandchildren with the Uchiha name. And she and Sasuke will die happily knowing that his life's dream to rebuild the clan has become a reality.

She steps off the porch and walks through the garden of roses and other flowers her husband found beautiful enough to grow. Just in front of their house grows a cherry blossom tree, something he wanted to dedicate his love for her, or something like that. She can't really remember because she can only recall his kisses and her laughter that which made him smile.

As she passes the tree and is about fifty feet away, her mind is not calm. She recalls the events that had unfolded not too long ago within the shower, and she thinks that the reason he took his time to indulge her was because he was so afraid of losing her.

But it is too late to turn back. She is a ninja, and she must fulfill her duties. As one rule that was stated by Kakashi when Naruto and Hinata married, and when she and Sasuke married: _"A Shinobi is a Shinobi before he, or she is a spouse."_

True, very true… But if the situation called for it, Sakura thinks she would save Sasuke first if the village were in danger.

"No you won't," she mutters to herself, arguing against what she is thinking. "It's my duty, after all."

She continues to walk forward, hoping to go to the hospital and collect some things before she sets off.

Sasuke watches her from a distance. He told her he was angry at her for accepting such a mission, an S-Ranked mission, that can be the end of her. He knows she is strong and very capable, but still… This is her first lone mission and she must come back alive. They argued for a while even after their heated encounter in the shower. And before she left, he simply told her he will not see her off this afternoon. But Sakura held back whatever she was going to yell next and took her hand under his chin and kissed him. _"Then,"_ she said softly, _"I'll see you when I get back. I love you, Sasuke. I'll be back."_

He crosses his arms once he sees that the pink bob of hers has disappeared behind the foliage. Their house was almost near the outskirts of the village, and so close to the where the Uchiha compound once stood. They liked the privacy and the peace they received here. This is why he chose to live secluded from prying ears and eyes.

She is gone, he thinks. He sighs deeply and uncrossed his arms as he walks through the door. Lazily dragging his bare feet across the soft carpet, he finds himself in the study he and his wife use. While she uses it for her medical studies and other crap he doesn't find interesting enough to learn himself, he reads his own small collection of books. Make Out Tactics is sitting in front of him and he wonders when he had purchased the book.

"It must be Kakashi's," he says. But why is it here?

He picks up the book and flips over the cover. There, boldly written in red ink and some very feminine writing on a loose note reads:_ Read this. Kakashi gave a copy to Sai when he asked about the book. It's hilarious, I can't believe Lord Jiraiya himself wrote this! Love, Ino._

Sasuke can't help but shake his head. He had already read all the books on the shelf here, and needs something else to read. So he takes a seat on the leather chair across the desk his wife keeps piles of unread documents and scrolls and opens the book to page one.

#

"Sensei, are you really leaving?" Aiko asks. She watches as Sakura sifts through the mountains of scrolls on the desk.

"Yup… Big mission."

"I wish Lord Hokage could assign me to go with you. Then I can finally learn a jutsu from you."

"A girl can dream, and only continue to dream. You're not even a chunin yet."

Aiko sinks lazily in the chair and shrugs. "Well… I guess."

Sakura mutters something frustratingly. Her hands meet her hips and she looks up to see the time on the clock over the door. The hands on the lock indicate her time to depart was an hour away, and hopelessness seems to take her over.

"It's still broken," Aiko says, which creates an even bigger fuss coming from her teacher. She laughs a little, and looks down at her own watch. "It's three hours until noon. You still have some time."

Sakura shrugs, and plops down on her own chair.

"What were you looking for?" Aiko asks.

Sakura takes her hands against her head and she grunts terribly into the air as she falls back against the chair. "I took off my wedding ring for safe keeping. I don't know where it is…"

Aiko frowns. "_Geez_, Sakura-Sensei you're always losing things! Are you sure you're not doing this on purpose?"

"I swear I'm not."

"I'm sure it'll turn out somewhere. Or maybe you left it at home and just forgot."

"Maybe, but most likely not. _Shit_, why is this happening to me…"

Aiko looks at her stressed master and wonders if the ring is the only thing that is bothering her. When she arrived today, she seemed sad even though her smile was from ear to ear. It's a wide smile; its they kind of smile she knows Sakura uses to mask her real feelings. She doesn't want to ask what is going on in her mind, for she knows the matter may be too personal for her to speak it, but finds the confidence to ask anyway.

"Sasuke's mad at me," she replies to her question so quickly. Aiko quirks both eyebrows, though it won't be the first time he has been mad at her. It was probably about the ring, but before Aiko can come up with conclusions herself, Sakura says, "He's mad because I'm leaving on a solo mission."

Aiko was always right. Sasuke is a possessive man and she can see it in his eyes. When she first met him, his own height added to the intimidating look. He is dark, and he seems so mysterious as any other male ninja. Sasuke, compared to Naruto whom she still crushes on, is much more darker. And when he looked down to see her, his eyes greeted with the simple expression: you are familiar. Perhaps she would seem that way, for she shares similar characteristics to her Sensei besides the brown hair: large forehead, nearly a flat chest… But she watched him as he took her hand and saw how firmly he pressed, or how he kissed her cheek goodbye, or the way his eyes met her. All of those small things one can overlook she took in with such enjoyment. He loves her so profoundly and even she can see that Sakura and Sasuke are both so very much in love. The eyes that possess her often comes to Aiko's mind. Even that gaze and that smile of his melts her own heart and begins to wonder if Naruto is really at all that interesting anymore.

Aiko comes back from her thoughts to see the devastating sight of her Sensei who sinks even lower in her chair.

"Sensei, you're acting childish."

"Yeah," Sakura says.

"He's only mad because he cares."

"Perhaps… _And man does he show it!_" Sakura blushes and smiles as she sits back up. Aiko looks at her with suspicion, and more confusion.

"Hm?"

"Oh nothing."

Sakura stands, and decides to leave early. Aiko sees her off at the front of the building and only then when she watched her Sensei leave with her hips swaying to and fro, and a smile implanted big on her face, her eyes widen to the realization of her previous said sentence: _"And man does he show it!"_

So she blushes at her sensei's words. "Holy shit," she only says. _"Holy fucking shit!"_ Aiko laughs hysterically as she renters the building. They did it… _They did it._ "And she practically told me."

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Note. <strong>I couldn't help myself. I had to write the second chapter immediately! I can't help but laugh at the smut because, to be honest, I pretty much suck at writing smut and I'm hoping to improve. I stayed up until 2 in the morning writing this and I tried to suppress any urge to laugh at this. I'm shameless, and I'm not sorry lol. Thank you for your awesome reviews! They're the only thing that keep me going and make this worth it :)_

_- FoF_

[Last Updated Sunday 01-25-15]


	3. Golden

**Chapter 3**

Golden

"Naruto couldn't make it… Kakashi wanted him around for certain things, but he told me to congratulate you." Sai walks with Sakura through the streets. It is only fair to escort her as a member of Team 7, though he knows he was only a single replacement for the absent member, Sasuke a Uchiha.

"Congratulate me for what?" Sakura asks. She looks over to see the pale man smile that smile of his he learned to do not so long ago.

He scratches his cheek with a single index finger. "Ah, he wanted to congratulate you because you're finally going on a lone mission."

She shakes her head. "It isn't something I was striving for, Sai."

"Yes, well," he removes his hand from his cheek and turns to see her. "Lone missions are fine when you need time alone… To relieve stress, that is."

"Do I seem stressed?" Her voice is calm, but Sai can always detect a hint of urgency, or a pinch of pure frustration.

He shrugs, "Are you, Sakura? Ino tells me you've been working awfully hard lately… And then now you're walking into danger's arms."

She shrugs. "I've been tired of the shifts at the hospital, but I don't think tiredness can compare to stress."

Sai smiles, recovering his fumbling of words. "I'm glad, then." He realizes that her husband is nowhere to be seen. "And Sasuke?"

Sakura's brows sink and she looks down at the ground as they walk through the crowds by the shops. "He's angry at me."

Sai doesn't ask anymore questions, for he knows the reason why he'd be angry with her. Not once has Sakura ever left the village without someone accompanying her. She is a reliable Shinobi, and a very powerful one at that. If something were to happen to her, the village can be disrupted. Might as well put the ones that are less card for by the ninja organization in the front lines so they can be dealt with before the supremes… Of course, Sai is only thinking like an ANBU ninja. Dark thoughts rarely leave him, but they also rarely come.

Sakura and Sai walk slowly together in silence until the gates of the village have finally been met. And while Sakura was expecting to be accompanied for a while by Sai, Sasuke is waiting under a tree.

Her husband looks up to meet her wide eyed stare and he departs from under the tree. He walks forward, hands in his pockets at all times, and greets Sai with a nod, to which the pale man greets in a respectful bow.

"Thank you for walking her here," Sasuke says.

"No problem." Sai turns to look at Sakura. "Bye, Sakura. Stay safe."

"Thank you, Sai."

He leaves without another word, and without another glance.

Sasuke takes Sakura's hand in his and presses firmly. "I'll walk you for a bit," he says.

"You don't have permission to leave, Sasuke."

He shrugs and looks over his shoulder. She sees him smiling at her in that smile that overtakes her body in heat. "The rule doesn't necessarily apply if I'm over a hundred feet from the village perimeter. Besides… What will Kakashi do?"

They walk together through the gates and enter the forest. The name Village Hidden in the Leaves suits the place perfectly. As Sasuke and Sakura make their way slowly up the trail, they are silent. The rustling of the leaves and the creaking of the branches make this moment a little too awkward. They have nothing much to say to each other. Sakura was the last one to say something when their conflicting words battled in each other's ears.

"I'm sorry," he says in a quiet tone.

Sakura smiles a little, though it's not enough to keep her from feeling ill of her current action. He is hurting, and she is making that pain stay.

"Are you really alright with me leaving?"

"_'A Shinobi is a Shinobi before he or she is a spouse…'_ I don't like that rule, but I have to live with it."

She clings onto his arm tightly. His face is still strained with unclear thoughts that are probably bottled up in his head. She tippy toes as they walk and she plants a kiss on his cheek. He looks down at her with self-claiming eyes. She smiles playfully.

He smirks and mutters annoyance under his breath. It isn't long until Sasuke looks to see the marker of his leaving from Konoha. He can't continue any longer. He takes her into his arms and roughly kisses her, leaving her much more awakened. He wonders as his lips vigorously rub against hers that this feeling he feels down at the pit of his chest is the same feeling Sakura felt when he left her.

"Come back to me," he says.

She smiles and kisses his nose. "I'm not a dog, Sasuke. I do as I please… I might even find myself someone interesting."

His hand squeezes down hips as he shakes his head. "You're not a dog… But you are mine. I want you to come back here safely, okay?"

"Okay…"

Sasuke searches through his pocket and immediately brings it back out for her to see the golden ring she's been missing. He is not pleased, but he is not angry either. An unsurprising way of saying it, he is annoyed. He tunnels her ring finger through and shakes his head.

"Don't lose this. It's real gold."

She nods, smiling at his little comment.

Before he can kiss her, she playfully stops his lips and she taps his forehead as he had done to her. "Next time," she says and winks, something that Sasuke rolls his eyes at.

She kisses his cheek and he lets go of her. Their parting takes a bit longer than it should. At the pit of her chest, she feels a need to go back to the Hokage and ask, no, plead to assign Sasuke to go with her, but he has gone to plenty of missions.

Their hands finally part and she nervously smiles at him before ultimately turning away from his worrisome gaze. She walks, and dares not look behind her because she knows she'll run back into his arms. It's been a good three months since she last left the village because of her sole duty to the hospital and its current inhabitants. Aiko needed her, as did the staff, so the missions, even the smallest were always given to other jōnin and chunin.

Through the eyes of the previous wanderer, he sees the pink bob she styles so wonderfully disappear behind the foliage. It's a thick forest, and though small, anything as big as a person can easily get lost. His hands jam into his pockets and a long sigh departs from his lips. He turns around and heads back to the village, alone, and deep in thought of her safety.

#

"Lighten up, Sasuke," Naruto elbows the man rather harshly. The dorky smile he possesses is boldly expressed, but Uchiha is not smiling. And when he doesn't smile, Naruto is corrupted with sympathy. There isn't anything that can get him to smile, and according to the certain tales each wife shares, he only smiles for Sakura.

"Here you go," Hinata's soft voice flutters. _The Hyuuga Princess_, or at least that's what he used to call her back in the day, slides a small cup of jasmine tea under his nose.

"Ah," he says and looks up at her who is standing before him with a soft smile on her face, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Before she parts from the table, the man looks at her round belly. She is only three months pregnant, but because of her thin figure, the bump is certainly there.

"I'm excited," Naruto whispers, catching the dark eyed man's attention. "I've never even carried a baby. I want mine to be the first one I carry."

"You might drop it," Sasuke answers, "Practice with a puppy."

"You underestimate me that much, Uchiha?"

Sasuke nods, bringing the cup to his lips and sips.

They can hear Hinata humming in the kitchen, and all falls silent. This silence is so deep except for Naruto's beloved humming in the other room. Sasuke is stricken with the realization that he will go home tonight to an empty house.

"You know," Naruto breaks the silence. "I was waiting to tell you the news, and I wanted to make sure you, Sakura and Sai were all together when I said it. Since she's out of the village, and Sai is attending to Ino, I should just tell you."

"Spit it out already."

Naruto inhales and a smile forms. Sasuke looks at him in curiosity. _Is he going to have twins?_

"Kakashi needed me this morning, because he was going to tell me something important. Sasuke, my dream is going to become a reality. The recommendations have been sent to the Emperor with just one name on the scroll: Mine. Sasuke, I'm going to become Hokage."

The sudden news is too grand not to smile. Naruto is like a brother to Sasuke, and the closest friend he has ever had. His eyes close, and so his lips curve.

"Are you really, or are you just repeating the same crap you used to yell at every enemy we faced when we were genin?" Of course, his questions were all in the matter of great amusement. He needs this. He needs something that gets his mind to look forward to Sakura's return because she will return. She will celebrate Naruto's great promotion together.

_"Idiot, of course it's happening!"_

Sasuke counters his frustration with a low laugh. "I was teasing you, moron!" He laughs again and pats Naruto's back, something that makes the blond smile widely. "Congratulations."

Hinata appears again beside him and catches him by surprise. She pours more of the piping hot liquid into his cup without asking. Someone so quiet like herself, and so gentle is married to someone so loud and unusual. She is pregnant, and they are happy.

"You know," continues Sasuke. "Sakura and I were talking about having a kid."

"Really, now?" Hinata replies as she walks over to Naruto's side,

"What did she say?" Naruto asks.

"It was a discussion, but I don't think we came up with a decision. It was more of a mutual agreement."

"Rebuilding the Uchiha clan, eh?" Naruto wiggles his eyebrows and Hinata blushes at the thought. Perhaps she is thinking of the story Sakura told the girls the other day.

"E-excuse me," she whelps, and walks out of the room in a hurry.

Sasuke's smile disappears and he shakes his head. "You've upset your wife with your damned comments, moron."

Naruto laughs under his breath and shakes his head. "No, no!" He leans closer to Sasuke as the raven-haired man takes another sip from the tea. "You won't believe what we do in bed."

Sasuke snorts and coughs wildly at his words. He's choking, while Naruto is hysterically laughing.

_"Naruto!"_ Hinata screeches from the kitchen.

His laughter stops when he sees his blushing wife appear from the doorway of the kitchen.

"P-please don't talk about that,"she says.

"You heard that?"

Sasuke wipes his mouth with the napkin Hinata set before him earlier. "Stupid, she is a highly trained jōnin! Of course she's going to hear that!"

The woman scurries off when Sasuke turns to see her. She is embarrassed by Naruto's words.

"And you're going to be Hokage…" he mutters.

* * *

><p><em><strong>*Note. <strong>I can't keep the humor out x) even though it's supposed to be all dramatic, and such. Anyway, I haven't exactly watched The Last, yet and I'm starting to get antsy! I'm leaving this here because user: **crazymel2008** had questions to ask about the setting (whether it was after The Last, or not), and to be honest I'm not so sure myself (since I haven't seen the movie yet), and also because we didn't get any specifications of their age on chapter 700... I imagine them around their twenties, roughly about 24-25 (I should have pointed that out sooner, so I apologize.)_

_Also, **I'm working on a new SasuSaku fic**. I know, I know, I shouldn't work on two things at once, but geez this idea has been invading my dreams, actually, and I'm excited to share it because there will be smut, and when I say smut, I mean it. Though I'm still working on this fic, I had to write at least the first chapter of my new one. Dare I announce: COMING SOON ? (You can learn more about it on my BIO page here, actually, though there's not much to say.)_

_[Last Updated: Monday 01-26-15]_


	4. Discovery

**Chapter 4**

Discovery

Sakura is channeling chakra through the palm of her hand and runs it over her lower abdomen. She is walking through the woods on Day 2, and some soreness she started feeling just yesterday after she left the village was seeping over her, and slowly disappearing with the mending her chakra is doing.

"Damn, Sasuke," she mutters.

Sakura stops walking and leans against a tree away from the path, her hand still on her lower abdomen. She muffles a few hearty laughs, feeling a tear come down her eye from her amusement.

"Damn, trying to break me so I won't leave, huh?" she says to herself and her mind drifts to the closeness they had just yesterday morning in the shower. Another hysterical laugh gurgles through her throat and out her mouth..

The pinkette takes a long dreary breath and stays by the tree before heading out to the path she was going through. The muscles in her legs ached, and her eyelids are beginning to feel heavy. The mission Kakashi has sent her to was considered an emergency, something that she can't understand very well. The medical teams from other villages have been dispatched, so why do they need her? Surely she can't be the best in the Shinobi world, she thinks. Her traveling has been for almost two days straight, never did she close her eyes and rest.

She has to pick up the pace, and she leaps upward to catch a branch. Pulling her weight upward, she casts her leg over the firm tree branch and began her journey above. Surely, this can be something that can awaken her a bit more. Adrenaline courses through her veins. Height is what she needed to keep her awake and active. The danger of her form of travel is a preference by most shinobi to avoid unwanted threats by other ninjas, but because their world is at peace in the moment, there is no bitter conflict at the moment, but whose to say the peace will linger for the rest of her days?

Her footing is better than she anticipated. She is like a monkey, soaring through the trees, catching whatever branch is nearest, and finding her balance when the weakest ones snap. Her heart is pounding, and if she keeps up this pace any longer, she will either pass out, or arrive to her needed destination.

Something she feels in the back of her mind halts her. Sakura is panting, forcing gulps of air into her lungs as she clings onto the loose bark of the tree she's been wading on. Her head turns to look behind her, but the leaves are rustling with the gust of a very cold wind. Her hair is picked up, brought over her eyes. She feels something again, and this time it's where her feet are facing, so her head snaps back to have her eyes fight the dirt the wind is carrying against her. What she senses is what every ninja was meant to be trained at: chakra. Sensing chakra is a key element to a successful mission, and Sakura feels she is lucky to barely grasp at the talent Sasuke and Naruto had become so expertly at.

It is s faint feel of energy lower than hers that is encasing her. She is surrounded.

"This isn't good," she whispers, and tightens the gloves that are hugging her hands.

Feeling the flow of chakra pouring into her feet, she wastes no time climbing up the steepness of the tree. She excelled at chakra control, she thinks, and the energy flow she is feeling now from every direction is blurred by a heavy pressure that has settled onto her stomach and in her head.

When she is at the peak of the tree, she feels herself swaying to and fro, and now her vision is unclear with the vastness of foliage surrounding this one large tree. She has no choice. Sakura has to descend again to a lower level. Carefully, she climbs back down, hands firmly clinging to the bark of the tree. It is a slow process, something she has to endure because she can't go about wasting so much chakra for uselessness.

At a level in which she can see more clearly, the forest seems empty and that faint feel of enemy chakra had come to an end. But wait—there is no way these ninja could be enemies, she thinks. Moving forward through the depths of the forest, she's only gambling her safety. Moving blindly is something she is not going to do, or willing to.

The map she has inscribed in her mind is telling her to move forward. This is where she must go through before getting to heal the sick.

She has no choice. Her body moves quickly through the thick density of the trees, before ultimately deciding to travel on the ground again. It is a hard decision. If people are truly following her, then she is walking on a thin line because they will attack her from any direction above. But if she continues to rush through the branches, the outcome is almost the same.

Reaching down to her pack, her hand takes hold of the metallic handle of her kunai and twirls it in her fingers. Her breaths are steady, long drags that are beginning to become harder for her to control.

The wind has stopped, but there is rustling in the leaves of the bushes behind her, in front of her, and to the sides.

Forget one kunai, she thinks and reaches down her pack to reach for four more.

"Show yourselves!" Her voice is stern and steady. The rustling ceases.

The steadiness in the way she breathes lets her take control of her actions. Her mind is near to clarity and her eyes are not stinging with drowsiness anymore.

"Show yourselves!" Her command is final. Four kunai settle in between her fingers and the fifth is in her other hand.

There is rustling behind her, and from under the shadows of the tree, a man in black strikes with his katana.

#

Kakashi leans against his chair and sighs deeply. Naruto is on the other end of the room sitting on the comfy chair. He is dreaded with boredom, just as his superior.

"Kakashi-Sensei, how to you stand this, there's nothing to do." Naruto brings his hands up to his head and sinks even lower into the comfortable, leather chair.

"Do something, then," replies his elder, but even that causes the blond to sink lower in the chair. "Here," Kakashi says and flings a book towards his direction.

Jiraiya's name is imprinted on the cover, and Naruto flings it back. "No way, I'm not reading that!"

The mask against Kakashi's face is muffles his laugh, and hides the wide smile. Sudden poof of smoke on his desk catches both ninjas off guard, irking a scream from the future Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.

"Sensei, your desk is on fire!" The blond screeched.

"Calm down, Naruto," he urges. "It's a summoning animal." The old man grumbles something under his breath, and the blond's eyes narrow when he hears the name, Naruto and Future Hokage. "Just what I am I thinking," mutters Kakashi.

A small vision of the snow-white, and sky blue slug Katsuyu appeared before the Hokage. In a hasty voice, the small creature (that is part of a bigger one) spoke to him about Sakura, and her current situation. Naruto's eyes turn to that of urgency.

"An ambush…" Kakashi repeats. His voice is low when his head falls against his balled hand. "There was something odd about that request, but the other villages have dispatched their medical ninjas for the emergency…"

"Do you suppose they're dead?" asks the blond who has brought himself over from the couch to the little slug. "Are they?"

The minister slug shakes her head. "We don't know. As we speak, Sakura is fighting about twenty of them."

"Who are they? Rogues?"

"Bandits," she corrects. "I believe those are the people that requested medical advances. Perhaps they were part of some places where they obtained too much damage from previous catastrophes and couldn't afford repairs."

The conversation ends, and regret befalls on the senior. "Naruto, get Sasuke and whomever else you can find here immediately."

The order is simple, and the man leaves with no questions, or hesitations.

#

With a slight of hand, Sakura manages to move out of the way when an ordinary dagger cuts through the air. She balances her weight on an arm and kicks a male hard in the stomach before whirling around her legs to hit two others.

There are minor cuts on her arms. This is a fight she knows how to deal with, but there is a cramp growing in her belly that doesn't settle in well. She's dizzy and feels like she's about to throw up. A twin version of the small Katsuyu rests on her shoulder, clinging onto her her master with the goo she emits from the lowest point of her body.

"Lord Kakashi is dispatching Naruto, Sasuke and Ino," the slug whispers.

The pinkette nods in approval, though they are a day away from where she is now.

"Stay where you are, Haruno and we won't kill you."

They know her name… Of course they do. The mark on her forehead is legendary. If she is not the blonde, busty female who taught her everything she knows, then she is very most likely Tsunade's student. Their eyes are watching her every move, and though they are not ordinary ninjas, she has no choice but to fight head on against them. Their weaponry skills are keen, and a slight discomfort slides throughout her whole being. If only, she thinks, if only she needed Sasuke's warning, then maybe she could have been safe from all of this. Sickness is the last thing she wants to feel, and yet, it is at the pit of her stomach.

"What did you do with the others? Tell me, and maybe I won't kill you!" Sakura barks out a command. They must tell her, they have to tell her. She needs to flee and hopefully bump into the others.

The males laugh.

"We've heard enough stories about your strength and even I, a simple folk can see you're not as strong as you claim to be, or as others see you to be." The one who speaks is a buff man who wears a black mask to accompany his attire. "We don't need to answer questions from a corpse, now, don't you think?"

Her strength is diminishing. She has no choice. With the sign of the tiger as her focal point, the Strength of a Hundred seal releases and it wraps itself around her body, but something is off, and the entire thing suddenly pains her.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Katsuyu urges.

"I don't know, there's something straining my focus…"

"Sakura, you're hot."

The medical ninja smirks a little, fighting through whatever pain is seeping through out her body. "Thanks, but, uh, right now's not the time for compliments."

"No, I mean your skin."

Sakura places a palm against her skin, and flinches at the realization of her high fever.

"Shit…"

Another attacks forms from behind her, and Sakura has no choice but head to the treetops. She feels weak, and her seal could not be released. The lack of confidence is also a strain to her abilities and suddenly, she is incapable of climbing.

"Run," says Katsuyu. The slug could have suggested to supply her larger body into the forest; however, the mighty slug senses something disrupting her chakra flow. This isn't good. When did she get so ill? Why is she even here to begin with?

Sakura is running for her life, and when she tumbles her body flops and Katsuyu can only fall with her. The girl is rolling down a steep hill, and suddenly the slug hears something thud hard. Blood seeps from a wound near Sakura's head, and the slug is unable to hold any longer. She falls on a bed of grass, and looks back to see that her master is rolling, rolling, and stops in a small ditch.

#

"This isn't good."

The small slug that has clung onto Sasuke's shoulder is concerned and panic spreads onto Sasuke's face. There is urgency in the small slug's voice, and the way she has spoken is nothing more than painful to hear.

"What's wrong?" He pleads.

"Sakura is sick, and she hit her head against a rock somewhere."

They are soaring across the sky on Sasuke's beloved summoning eagle. The large bird has enough strength to carry him, Naruto and Ino across the sky. The trek that would have taken them a day to reach Sakura is manageable in this way. Even still with all the land they have soared by, her presence is not clear, and both Naruto and Sasuke cannot sense her chakra.

"Where?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry."

The exact location of her whereabouts are uncertain, but Katsuyu informs them that the scene of their ambush is near by. A gleam of guilt plants itself in the pit of his chest, and he's heart broken. Somewhere his wife is hurting and he needs to go save her.

"Calm down, Sasuke," Ino says. "I'm sure she's fine… She has to be. She's the strongest medical ninja this world has to offer."

The blonde woman's words are not enough to settle his nerves. After what Katsuyu had described, the way she is fighting, who and how many, and then the sudden fall to her own defeat, he has too much to think about. Naruto and Ino share a glance of dismay when Sasuke clenches his shirt. The gains on his arms are bulging in an unsuspected way. He is hurting and they know he is hurting.

Something lands on Naruto and Ino's cheeks with the wind. It is coming from Sasuke, and the both of them conclude the raven-haired man could be crying.

"Sasuke…" Naruto tries, but his consoling voice is not enough.

"We have to find her." Sasuke's voice is much more different than what the other jōnin are used to. It is steady, but in a way it is broken with raw emotion. "She has to be okay. She promised me."

* * *

><p><strong>*Note.<strong>_ (Yes I am still editing and writing on my iPad. I'm hoping to fix my computer problem soon so I can update with longer chapters, and maybe two chapters a week!) Anyway... Thank you for reading! Your reviews are the only thing that inspire me to continue writing these :)_

_-FoF_

_[Last Updated Sarurday 01-31-15]_


	5. Under the Moon

**Chapter 5**

Under the Moon

The sight of a lifeless Sakura under the trees in a ditch so far away from her home is the last thing Sasuke Uchiha wanted to know of. Indeed, she looked dead, body limp and mouth open so slightly he could see her teeth. Blood isn't something he wanted to see, but of course, his eyes trailed around that the first time they had come to see her. Ino, one of Sakura's dearest friends sobbed immensely on Naruto's shoulder. Truly, the desperation she had felt so long at the pit of her chest has finally burst into a flow of an emotional toil. Sasuke approaches Sakura. Her chest doesn't heave, and it almost seems like she is not breathing.

Sasuke is angry, of course, because his wife did not heed his warning. But he was more angry at the people who had done this to her… And even so the anger he feels so deep within him can only muster into pain. His chest feels compressed, and his breathing is getting harder to do.

"Ino, quit crying," Sasuke's voice is cold.

The blonde woman tears herself away from Naruto. She watches from the top of the hill with clasped hands as Naruto and Sasuke successfully bring her upward. Sasuke's hands clasped under her arms while Naruto's wrapped around at her ankles. Ever so slowly, she was put on a leveled ground, away from the hill and away from the scene of the accident. They bring her back down in the same, delicate manner.

Ino's hands trembled, even so, she proceeded to check for a pulse. Now, did Sasuke feel vulnerable. It is an indescribable feeling of sorrow and torture. Perhaps this is the same pain he had felt when he discovered his dead parents, or the same pain he felt when he discovered the truth of his now deceased brother Itachi. His jaw clenched, his muscles felt sore. And his heart palpitates in great speed. The pain he feels now is far greater. She is his family. Her promise to come back alive and safely seems so faint. He wants nothing more than to take her home, sleep on the same bed with her, kiss her, and tell her how worried he was for her safety. Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Hokage is to blame.

The blonde's hands finally came back up, her tears coming out less and less and a small smile, one that showed nothing but remorse appears on her face.

"Is she alive?" asks Naruto. Even tears formed under his eyes as he watched Ino reach for Sakura's neck.

"Barely…" Her voice is nearly audible. "Her heart… Her pulse… It's weakening."

Within the moment Sasuke ordered a small summoning falcon to plead for a medical team, Ino poured chakra onto her palms and began to scan the open wound behind her head. There is the most concerning source of the blood. Yamanaka knows she is not as talented as Sakura, or maybe Hinata, but right now her friend is in a perilous state. I must, Ino thinks, I must do something for her and Sasuke.

Anxiety overcomes the raven-haired man. Naruto sees the pain in his eyes and so, his hand grasps at his shoulder. "We'll save her, Sasuke."

"Something is wrong," he mutters. "I'm sure the both of you have noticed before.

Yes, they have. Her chakra is distorted. It has come to be so at the rising of her fever. Katsuyu the small slug had only vanished when they found her for no apparent, or explainable reason. Maybe Sakura's chakra is what was keeping the slug around, and now that Sakura was near-dead, her jutsu could not hold any longer.

The wound is barely closed, and Ino wraps around a gauze roll over her head. She whispers something to her friend, something that both Naruto and Sasuke could not hear and then gently brings her lips on her friend's forehead.

The sight of Ino kissing Sakura's forehead is what brings Sasuke's heart to skip a beat.

"Is she alright?" he asks. His voice is cracked. He is fighting the tears that are so willing to come out from his eyes.

"Yes," she whispers in reply. "I just need to make sure her heart is still beating by the time the medical team gets here."

Sasuke shakes his head and steps forward. He surprises Ino and Naruto when he takes the delicate woman into his arms and stands surprisingly straight. Adrenaline is coursing through his veins. Sakura's weight is the least of his worries. Even so, she always appeared weightless to him whenever he had the chance to carry her in his arms.

"Let's get going. We'll meet the team if we continue that path." Sasuke points with his chin to the path among the trees. They have no time to wait around for a medical team while his wife is in peril.

In agreement, they start their trek in quick pace. Their journey is a long one, and Sasuke wants to see his wife's eyes open. While his comrades tailed behind him, a small tear trickles down his cheek. Evening comes too quickly, but even so, the ninja team does not wait for the rising of the sun to continue their trek. Clones formed by Naruto earlier in the day had concluded that the medical ninjas dispatched from other villages were found dead near the same place where Sakura was found. There was nothing they could have done to save them, and still Naruto worries for their families and friends.

Ino rushes behind Sasuke and pleads him to stop to take another look at Sakura. Oh, he had almost forgotten she was in his arms. So Sasuke does stop near the trail and under a large tree where he settles her body down carefully for Ino's inspection. Her sight travels further down from her head where the wound has been closed and suddenly she squints her eyes just around her belly. Taking her palm over her lower abdomen, she pours chakra over, and then, the blonde flinches and takes it off.

"No way…" Ino mutters.

"What is it?" Sasuke's voice is loud with urgency.

Her brows furrow and she shakes her head. Once again, she pours chakra onto the palm of her hand and settles it just over her belly. The feel of life just beneath the surface is what causes Ino happiness, and sorrow. There is something growing within Sakura that makes her friend cry with happiness, and then pain.

"Sasuke…" Ino whispers. "I think Sakura is pregnant."

_Pregnant_.

"No way, are you sure she is?" Naruto says and kneels beside Ino.

_Pregnant_.

"I believe so. I can feel something here," she says and points for the blond man to see, "It is very delicate, and so new… It must be a few weeks old, I'd say."

_Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant._

Sasuke's eyes remain on his wife and all he could feel is a need to bring her home. Not so long ago she and Sasuke discussed about wanting children, and now, the idea has come to reality in the worst occasions. He tugs at the black cloak he has draped over his shoulders and pulls it off from him. With the strength he has in his arms, he twists the fabric with so much stress that Naruto senses it.

"Sasuke, you're going to be a father!" exclaims Naruto.

"That is if she doesn't die here," he says rather coldly. "How could she not have sensed she was pregnant?" There is so much frustration his voice that makes Ino cringe. He is about to lose it.

"She's been working hard lately," Ino comments, "maybe she couldn't feel anything herself because she was under so much stress… Which could explain the sudden illness she came to have."

"That doesn't fucking matter! She should have felt something!"

"Do you feel guilty, Sasuke?" Ino's words hit him with the realization, but surely, he could not feel that way towards himself.

The blonde woman stands and is confronted by Uchiha. His sight is leveled to hers and his dark eyes sends chills down her spine. He is angry. Her nose is only a few inches away from him, but she doesn't back away.

"There is no reason to feel guilty… She could not have known, and neither could you. The thing you should do is wake up and realize your wife is in this state. She needs you! Don't turn around and act so fucking high and mighty for the sake of your cold reputation!"

"Ino…" She hears Naruto's steady voice, but she doesn't care.

"You need to hear me loud and clear, Sasuke Uchiha! I've seen the way you look at her. The love she has for you is big, and I'm sure the love you have for her is as big as hers. If you love her so damn much, don't you dare try to barricade yourself in front of me."

Her eyes are like daggers, hitting his every exterior, and yet, she knows exactly what is going on in his head. She excelled at every jutsu her father had once taught her, and yet, she can see deep within him without the need to transfer her mind into his. Whenever Sasuke feels something, Ino is quick to know that he bottles up his emotions and hides them away where no one else can see. This is what she had learned from Sakura from her previous chats with the other girls. Sakura is the one he lets see his lowest points, apart from Naruto. She's been the other person, and the only person to be able to see him crack under emotional toll. Ino recalls her friend telling her about several nightmares he has had in the past, and how he wakes up in some physical pain his mind is leading him to believe. And with tears in his eyes, Sakura consoles him.

But tonight she is on the ground helpless, and he is standing over her, living a nightmare. Previously, Ino made suggestions to enter Sasuke's thoughts to erase whatever is causing his turmoil, but Sakura insisted she couldn't allow such things to be done to her husband, because with every pain he has suffered, there has been some happiness he has to remember. Where there is happiness, there is pain, and before him is the woman who surely knows it.

"What has Sakura told you about me?"

Her gaze remains stern. "Nothing much. Everything is very vague."

"Hn."

"But I can see through your eyes every emotion you try to conceal. You're an open book when you shut yourself out of the world, Sasuke. Sakura was a better person to interpret such things from you… I'm only using my knowledge of the human mind to see what I see now."

The blonde's eyes revert back to the pink-haired woman lying on the ground. "Don't disappoint her by hiding your fears, emotions, and from her. I am no expert, but I believe she is truly damaged. And that baby she is carrying needs the both of you."

To think Ino's words came from the frustration she felt against him for being so cold. When there is hope she feels about her friend's safety, he shoots it down so fast. Sasuke is a realistic thinker, and nothing more. He, like Sakura, uses logic to get by things. The truth is seeping over him: Sakura can die. But the fact that she is carrying his child, whether it be a girl or a boy, within her makes him ache with desperation. Ino is right… He is hiding away under a shadow of cold that is being driven by fear.

* * *

><p><strong>*Note. <strong>_Early update with a really short chapter (sorry guys!). I promise longer chapters and a second update-day will be made soon. Thanks for all the support you're giving me with your follows and reviews! I appreciate all of that very much :)_

_[Last Updated: Friday 02-06-15]_


	6. Critical

**Chapter 6**

Critical

He is carrying in her arms as they move through the darkness. While Naruto eyes tentatively the surroundings, Ino motions repeatedly for Sasuke to finally make another stop. Both males made suggestions earlier about using summoning animals to take Sakura back home as quickly as possible, but the blonde kunoichi disagreed profoundly as the risks of Sakura being in danger in mid air was greater. Even so, the pace is slow and Sasuke is beginning to get frustrated. Being engulfed in a thick forest, surrounded by darkness, the trio continue their trek. It's been a while since they felt anything unfamiliar flowing through the air. A few times, back when they barely discovered Sakura did they feel unrecognizable chakra. But it's been a while since anything strange was suddenly felt, smelled, or seen.

Cold breeze flows through the trees and touches each ninja. Ino shivers slightly, as does Naruto. The both of them take notice on how silent Sasuke is, and how his eyes seem to be only on her. His body propels itself through the forest. He doesn't need his eyes to make way through the paths. When another cool breeze hits them, Sasuke is the only one without a single chill running down his spine. The warmth of his wife against his chest is enough to keep him awake and thinking. He needs to save her. He needs to save her and the child that is forming within her.

Sakura's breathing is much stabler than it was before. Though Ino doesn't quite know what it is she did to help, Sakura's fever was also brought down. The cold seeps over them for a while, and it abruptly stops as the wind. Crickets chirp rather loudly that the three could feel the ringing at the back of their throats. With each step they take, old twigs break and the crunching of dead leaves fill their ears.

"How is it?" asks Sasuke suddenly, breaking the silence they have formed not long ago. He turns to face Ino with Sakura wrapped in his arms and blanketed with his dark cloak. His eyes still scan the pink of her swollen cheeks, and the few pink strands of hair that cover her eyes.

Ino complies with his demand to know about the well being of his forming child and hurt wife. He doesn't put her down on the ground this time, and Ino worries a bit more about his well being. He's been carrying her for four hours straight with little rest.

With chakra illuminating from the palm of her hand, the blonde runs it over the lower abdomen of the pinkette. She nods, assuring the male that they are both in good condition… For now, at least.

"Do you feel that?" Naruto asks suddenly.

The other comrade's eyes light up with they feel the flow of familiar energy flowing through the woods. Certainly, someone they know is approaching their location, and fast.

"Feels familiar," whispers Ino.

"Should we move on ahead, or should we stay here?" asks Naruto.

"Move steadily forward," prompts Sasuke.

They nod in unison, moving silently through the shadows of every tree. Hope lingers within their hearts as they swiftly make their way through the forest. Sasuke lets out a little groan. His back is starting to ache and his arms are becoming weak. Naruto grips onto his shoulder.

"Give her to me, Sasuke," Naruto urges. "You'll break in half if you keep carrying her."

The raven-haired man eyes the blond. He doesn't look pleased. "What does that mean, Naruto?"

Naruto shakes his head excessively and waves his hands across him. "I'm not calling her fat or anything! I'm just saying you've carried her for a very long time!"

"Dumbass I never said anything about you calling her fat!"

Ino hushes the disputing ninjas, rolling her eyes at their silly argument. Even after such a long time, she is still surprised to see that they will argue childishly for no apparent reason. With a twitch of her neck, the light-blue-eyed woman is peering over some bushes before them again. The males take notice to how prepared she is when she reveals the kunai in her hand. "It might not be the medical team," she whispers harshly.

Before she could say anything more, the familiar voice of Sakura's student rings through the air. Aiko appears from behind the bushes, followed by three others of the medical team, whom the small ninja cell don't know of. As they approach with haste, Aiko's eyes water immediately at the sight of her sensei in Sasuke's arms. She takes notice of Sakura's messy hair, and there are blood stains all over her body.

"Sensei…" The young ninja could barely project an audible sound, and Ino feels the girl wrap her arms around her waist. "Sensei," Aiko whispers again, sobbing into Ino.

The blonde kunoichi runs her hands over the girl's loose chocolate-brown hair and tries to hush her. "A ninja never cries," she reminds her, but she knows the pain of seeing a beloved master in such a state. She quickly shakes off the memory of Asuma's death from her mind. "She's going to be okay," is what she tells her and smiles.

Sakura is placed carefully on a stretcher. The departure between them makes Sasuke feel a bit more vulnerable. His back cracks when he straightens up. His arms come down immediately, feeling the sting and soreness of his muscles when his hands collide with the sides of his thighs.

"What's her condition?" asks the shortest male that seems to be the leader of their team.

"Head injury," states Ino. "Severe, when we first found her. I was only able to do emergency treatment on her. There's possibility of a concussion, and she hasn't woken up." She takes a deep breath when she sees Sasuke eyeing her. "There is also something else you should know."

"What is it?"

"She's pregnant."

Aiko lifts her head from Ino's stomach and turns to face her master who is still in a strange sleep. Her heart is pounding hard against her chest. If it's true that her master is pregnant, then something must be done immediately!

Everyone's silence is blending with the breeze. Almost immediately the small team is ready to leave and Aiko finds comfort with Ino as they rush through the forest.

#

There is no sound other than that of Sakura's breathing. The room is surprisingly quiet and still, something Sasuke somehow finds frustrating. As he watches her chest heave up and down, he can't help but notice how much he misses her constant rambling, and laughter.

The team had only arrived a day ago. The afternoon is shared with nurses that have closely worked with Sakura in the past, and they jot down a few things on their clipboards before leaving the room. Each time one passes by to check on the state of Sakura's condition, they look at Sasuke with pity. There is no assuring him that she will live, and the growing life of their unborn child is put in their hands.

Drawing several deep breaths, Sasuke takes his stand from the chair so close to her bed and paces several times before ultimately falling back onto his seat. There is nothing he can do to bring her back for the coma-like state, and this is the first time he ever felt so useless. His right hand reaches down to firmly grip hers and a sigh of exhaust escapes his lips.

"Please wake up," he whispers. "You promised me you'll return… So come back to me."

There is no response to his words. Surely, he wouldn't really expect any considering her condition. Running his thumb in the back of her hand reminds him of the many times she had held him when he'd awaken from nightmares of his past. Onyx eyes trace the tiny cuts on her skin and suddenly stop when he sees the gold wedding ring on her finger. The muscles in his neck slowly move when he gulps down his saliva hard, wondering, thinking about their future. His jaw clenches and he leans closer over the bed so he could hear her breathing. Negativity is something he doesn't want to seep into his mind, though she really isn't giving him much of an option. She doesn't respond to his touch, or his voice. Will she die? No… Of course not. He can't think of such a thing right now! He had taken notice that her chakra is flowing freely and a bit smoother than when they found her. Surely she is getting better. Soon, he thinks, soon she will be awake and she will smile as she always has when she sees him.

The door knob turns, and he turns to see Aiko's head peering through the slot of the opened door.

"May I come in?" she asks with softness in her voice.

Sasuke nods, and in she goes, closing the door gently behind her. She sees that the man's attention to her was only for a split second. His dark eyes are only for her sensei right now, and Aiko can't help but smile at the action.

"How has she been?" the small medic-in-training asks.

Sasuke clears his throat. "She's stable…"

"Good," says Aiko and pulls a chair on the other side of the bed. Sasuke watches with curiosity, seeing his wife's ambitious gaze within this small child. "I am sure she will come out of this."

"How can you be so sure?"

His eyes are piercing through her gaze, and Aiko has the need to turn back time and forget what she just said. Sasuke Uchiha, her master's husband, is one of which she can speak to, but only so when he isn't looking at her directly. It's something about his eyes that make her frightened of him, and no, it isn't his Sharingan that makes her cringe. The stories she has heard of him during her Academy days are what makes her so frightened. But still, after seeing this man, (dubbed dangerous by many others) walk with a loving woman in the streets, even without the need to find their hands intertwined within each other's gives Aiko a deep understanding of their love for each other… The way his eyes look lovingly into hers… How he gently taps her forehead whenever he can't be with her for a certain time… Or even the way he lightly smiles at her. For a long time, Aiko has witnessed these little gestures and feels lucky to see the other side of the so called infamous Sasuke Uchiha.

"Because Sensei is strong!" she finally says, gaining inspiration from recalling previous gaining with Sakura, and finally regaining her confidence over a silly fear… She has a fist close to her chest and her eyes are wide with amusement. "She was trained by Lady Tsunade… She is legendary, standing by you and Naruto Uzumaki! And she always tells me that by you, she feels even stronger."

The sudden claim makes the male smile, eyes closed. "Hn," he hums under his breath and seeks Sakura's hand again on the bed.

Seeing him smile like this makes Aiko happy, and so, she sits by the bed with hope. Her arms are crossed as she examines her teacher's heaving chest and the minor bruises by her cheeks.

Time passes rather slowly. And when Aiko takes her leave, Sasuke wishes her a nice evening with her parents, to which prompts the girl to wish him and Sakura well. More time passes by, and though visiting hours have been dismissed, Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki, and several others from the same generation as Sasuke and Sakura make their appearance.

"Why are you here?" asks Sasuke rather coldly.

Kakashi smiles under his mask slyly. "I'm the Hokage, so they made an exception for us…"

The raven-haired male shakes his head furiously and stands swiftly to look at his Hokage in the eye rather dismissively. "No," he snarls, "I meant why are you specifically here?"

The sudden question makes Naruto and the others uncomfortable, and they pend their thoughts in silence as they watch Sasuke's fury unfold.

"You sent Sakura to her fucking death, Kakashi!"

"Sasuke…" Ino sharply whispers, but is ignored.

When Sasuke takes his fist into the air, he is suddenly stopped by an angered Shikamaru. "Stand the hell down, Sasuke! He is your Hokage!"

"This has nothing to do with you, Shikamaru!" he snaps back, gaining a long dreaded look from his senior.

Kiba Inuzuka snarls under his breath as he catches a glimpse of the resting woman on the bed. He, too, steps forward and stares down the man who is now glaring at him. "Keep in mind that your wife is here trying to recuperate from the mess she was in, dammit! You'll talk to Lord Hokage about this some other time, but right now the rest of us came to see how she was doing, not to watch your bitchy fight with our superior!"

And just like that, Sasuke lands a hard punch on the darker male in front of him. The others gasp from the sudden attack, and Ino is infuriated by Sasuke's choice of actions. Surely, he couldn't have forgotten about their talk the other day, could he?

Even so, the blonde steps forward to guard Kakashi Hatake who is standing close to Sai.

"Sasuke, control yourself," Ino enforces. "You'll land in jail and when she awakens while you're sleeping in a dirty cell, then what the hell do you think she'll do when she wakes up?"

Fury is planted on the Uchiha's face. Naruto takes a hand onto his friend's shoulder and grips it firmly. "If you keep going at it like this, Sasuke, you will be in more trouble. Don't be an idiot because your wife needs you!"

Words have no way in calming his rage, but he brings himself back down to his chair and Ino's defense is gone. She steps towards him with a pit of anger unfolding within her and he catches the same enraged look Sakura had given him whenever he did something she found annoying about him. Even so, he ignores the blonde and crosses his arms, one over the other and sighs deeply.

"It wasn't my intention to force her into enemy hands," Kakashi says. "You could blame me all you like, but even you have to admit that the illness she had been dictated by was not my fault. Don't act so reckless. I've excused your actions before, but don't think that I'll show the same mercy again because you were once my student."

Silence.

"Try to understand, Sasuke… I regret assigning the mission to Sakura… But we are ninja, and we must overcome everything."

A deep breath escapes from him. His surfaced anger seems to have disappeared, and Ino gains the courage to press her hand on his shoulder. Sai watches with care, hoping the other male won't become reckless with his wife as he had done so with Kiba, who is rubbing his jaw in pain.

"I'm going to investigate what is going on in that head of hers from the inside, Sasuke," the blonde says. "I want to see if I could trigger something that would wake her up. Before I could step up and do anything, I need to ask for your permission."

"Yes," Sasuke responds immediately. "Do it."

Ino nods, though she is surprised at how quickly Sasuke agreed to the treatment. "I'll begin tomorrow in the afternoon, then." Her eyes leave him and focus on her dear friend. With a hard gulp of her saliva, she recollects her thoughts and scowls at the possibility of a coma.

A nurse escorts Imo outside to revise several things about Sakura and the trauma she had suffered because of her sudden fall. The other males left the room while Hinata, Karui and Temari silently watched over the sleeping woman on the bed.

About twenty minutes pass and each friend leaves the scene. Hunger seeps over him at midnight, so Sasuke decides to leave his wife's side for a couple of minutes. Walking out the door, he turns to look at her one last time, eyebrows furrowed.

In the hallway, night time nurses walk hastily through. Worry is plastered on each face he sees, and Sasuke comes to think how Sakura could stand such a depressing scene. Every now and then he passes by crying mothers, fathers, or children. Each one is experiencing some kind of pain… Perhaps tonight they lost someone, or maybe they just got some horrible news. By the end of the hall, the door to his right, there is a male doctor standing before a crying man. On the bed next to him is a still body of a woman.

"I'm sorry," he hears the doctor say. "There was nothing we could do."

Overwhelming feelings of anxiety makes the man's heart pump. Seeing another man crying over someone that appears to be his own lover has his body grow numb. He forgets hunger, and soon, he's rushing through every hall, ignoring the worried nurses and doctors, even the people who are sleeplessly wandering the halls in slow pace.

There are people who know his name, people who call him, but Sasuke refuses to stop. Soon, he is running. The exit is not far from him this time, and when the cool breeze hits his face, he finds himself breathing again; inhaling and exhaling so profoundly… He didn't realize he was holding his breath until now. Eyes sore… Face red… The man is trying his hardest not to break down in a public area. There are people not so far from the hospital, and those who see him only continue to watch in curiosity as they walk on by. People recognize his hair, and then finally his entire being. So, they continue walking along the sidewalk.

His hands find the support of his knees. Sasuke is breathing harder and harder with every memory he has of Sakura: When she calls to him for breakfast. The times she arrives late from work and he is waiting for her on the couch in the living room. How her hair flows through the breeze, or how her laughter chimes in his ears… Her kiss… Her touch… Everything.

* * *

><p><strong>*Note. <strong>_I'm slowly getting back in the groove for longer chapters lol (though this one is still somewhat short!). Thank you all for your follows and awesome reviews! :)_

_I have come to a conclusion that I will update every Mondays or Tuesdays, and Saturdays. _

_[Last Updated: Monday 02-09-15]_


	7. Emerald Eyes That See in the Dark

**Chapter 7**

Emerald Eyes that See in the Dark

His eyes are fixated on the cold concrete beneath his feet. Dark eyes scan the gray under the star-lit sky. While his mind tries to ease whatever pain he felt in his chest, and the unsettling nerves that drive him to think the worst, his right hand fiddles with the golden wedding ring twisted on his left ring finger. Whether it's the feel of the ring, or the thought of Sakura being with him again, a deep breath escapes his parting lips and the tension is gone. As her student implied earlier, Sakura will overcome whatever she had endured. She always has, and always will.

His back rests against the bench and the cold sensation is felt throughout his body. His eyes close briefly, taking in the fresh scent of greenery outside the hospital building. He's sitting beneath a tree, in a bench that feels somewhat nostalgic to a man that was just contemplating his wife's wellbeing not too long ago. His lips curve slightly. Sasuke is smiling under the shadow of his black hair when he recalls Sakura's confession a while ago… It was her first confession to the love she held for him, though he had always known about her strong feelings for him with every hug she had given him. Reminiscing the past makes Sasuke wonder how lucky it was for him to know someone so kind that would love him this much… While other women simply devoured him with a simple gaze, Sakura's smile meets her eyes, and then she would look at him with love, not lust. She is too kind for him, and he often made little comments about how undeserving he is for her love. She would smack him playfully on the side of his arm and beckon him to quit second-guessing her deep affections for him. It is those days when he'd take her into his arms and kissed her wherever she would let him.

When a shrilling scream fills the halls, Sasuke's eyes leave the concrete beneath his feet and he's looking through the glass doors. Remembering the past is the last thing he wants to do. Every ninja is a curious man, or woman, and so, he gains his composure and runs his fingers through his dark hair. Another shout, one that fits the cries of a woman in peril coarse through the air, and the tree above him seems to shake with the feel of the breeze, and the sound of her voice.

There is no doubt about it… Those screams sound all too familiar. Trepidation befalls on the man in the dark cloak. Sasuke feels his legs push off the ground as he runs back inside to find people swarming over one side so close to the exit at the other end of the lobby. His eyes search through the crowds, hoping to find answers without actually questioning the others. But when he sees traces of pink hair through small gaps of the crowd, he forces his way through. People are muttering, people are shoving, and Sasuke is pushing in harder and harder until his eyes meet Sakura.

She is on the floor, struggling against the nurses who are trying to calm her down, but she refuses to hear their words. She screams, and each time their hands touch her, she screams even louder. Cold sweat drips down the sides of her face and pink strands of hair cling onto her wet forehead and cheeks. She is sobbing hysterically, and when a doctor makes way with a needle in hand, the woman shakes her head and begins to mutter something under her breath.

"Sakura…" That is all Sasuke could say. He is in disbelief… Why would Sakura behave such a way against the people she's worked with for so long?

Sakura looks up to see him, but her eyes are still letting the tears flow freely. She's hugging her knees that are pressing so hard against her chest. Her green eyes have spotted the sight of this handsome man standing over her with a solemn expression that shows nothing more than pain when he sees her in such a state.

"Please help me," she says. Her voice is nearly inaudible, but Sasuke nods. He heard her. He heard his wife asking for his help.

"Everyone move!" Sasuke shouts, and people suddenly ease their muttering and are backing away now. The moment Sasuke Uchiha speaks is the moment people who yet question his true loyalty even after so long, back away.

Sakura, confused and in tears pushes her body forward. In this moment, Sasuke realizes she is in hospital attire, and it is slipping off her shoulder. When her arms wrap around his body, the tightness in his chest eases. Pinching the cheap fabric of the weird, blue tunic, he pulls it up so it covers her bare shoulder.

"Sakura…" he says softly again, but she looks up at him and shakes her head.

"Why?" She stumbles backwards, her hands on the sides of her head. _"Why does everyone call me that?"_

Sasuke's eyes widen. What is she talking about? When he approaches her with outward hands, she looks at him with a questioning gaze. With the shaking of her head, Sakura rejects his embrace this time that makes the raven-haired man worry even more. And then the same doctor with the needle I'm his hand steps in when Sakura cannot see him and injects something onto her arm. Soon enough, the woman collapses, but is caught moments before she hits the floor.

The employed nurses take her away and Sasuke stands there, unable to say a single thing about what he just witnessed. The actions of his wife are questionable. Everyone who knows her watch with dread as she is carried away to take back into her room for careful observation. People who had spoken to Sasuke so casually in the past look to him with doleful expressions planted on their faces. Not ever has Sasuke approved of being looked upon as someone to pity, but tonight everyone in the lobby is watching him that way. He is quiet as the quiet seeps over the room in awkwardness. Nurses tend to other people who need aid and Sasuke is yet unable to move from where he stands. The soreness he had felt when he carried Sakura through the forest in hopes of getting her medicinal care for her and the growing child within her, suddenly came back. Thou the heaviness in his arms are not the only kind of soreness he feels… It is s combination of heaviness on the chest and pressure in the head. Lack of sleep might be the cause of his head ache, but what of his chest? It'd be cliché to say that Sasuke indeed felt emotional pain equivalent, or no, a bit stronger than that of his physical pain over the fact that his wife is in some pain that is not understandable. But what better way to define the gloom that his been brought into him?

Hours before the light of the sun begins to gleam over the village, Sasuke returns to the seat where he awaits Sakura's eyes to flutter open. Watching her frantically react to every touch the nurses had given her made his eyes sore. He only closed his eyes for about an hour and a half before waking up to a male nurse who had stepped inside to check on her.

Sasuke's head still aches and hopes for the insomnia to leave him seem to dwindle.

Her lips part and she mutters something incomprehensible under the release of her breath. And when she opens her eyes, they pierce hatefully on the man that had called her by her own name, one her desperate cries seemed to reject.

"Sa—" Sasuke tries to say her name, but he pauses before he could finish it. He remembers her sudden disapproval of her name from hours before. He clears his throat. Soon, he's smiling kindly at her with curved brows.

Within the emerald eyes of Sakura, she sees a man that had stupidly called her a name she cannot know of. He is smiling at her, and soon she blushes a childish blush. Just what is going on?

"Can you tell me where I am?"

Sasuke nods, still holding onto the smile that is making her trust him. "The hospital."

"What's my name?"

The question itself is like a death-sentence. If he repeats the name of the cherry blossom in which she was named after for her unique hair, will she react the same way? Or will she accept the name?

She's waiting for an answer, and all Sasuke could say is, "what do you think your name is?"

An index finger finds its way to her chin and she taps it repeatedly. Soon, a simple shrug answers his question.

"I want to tell you, but I'm afraid you'll react strangely again."

The woman in pink hair recalls her past actions. When her brows droop down, wrinkling her nose a bit, she finally says, "so my name is that awful word?"

Sasuke shakes his head, smile and all… "Awful word? Sakura, you have a beautiful name… One that matches your hair."

Her hands find the strands of hair that are covering her cheek and her eyes widen in astonishment to see such a color fixated on her head. "Wow," she mutters.

"Do you remember what Sakura means?"

She shakes her head, emitting a strange pain down the back of her neck, but she doesn't complain and her eyes continue to penetrate the gaze of Sasuke Uchiha.

"Cherry blossom. One that grows in the trees…"

She looks over to the open window, but is disappointed to see no trees.

"You can't see them from here," Sasuke adds, "but maybe I'll show you one soon."

She nods, her eyes beaming with delight. And while his wife continues to look at the pink of her hair, Sasuke feels that same pit in his chest. Sakura, his wife has most definitely lost her memory. The collision with her head on the rock, as little Katsuyu stated, was great enough to do this to her.

"And who are you?" she suddenly asks. "I think you're familiar… You _feel_ familiar, though I'm not sure why."

_Feel familiar_ is correct. There is a strange energy that radiates from the man sitting beside her that she wants to understand. At first, she feels a turbulence in this strange energy, but when he smiled at her, that is when it all changed. Once so negative, or cold, now so bright and warm… Almost hopeful. But why did she feel this? How could she possibly know?

She is like a child asking so many questions.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the man finally states. He shows her the back of his hand and points to the golden ring. "I'm your husband."

Her cheeks redden at the claim, and soon she is giggling. "No way."

He nods. "You have the other ring."

The woman looks down to see the back of her left hand and once again her eyes light up, this time when she sees an identical ring. "But I hardly know you."

At this, Sasuke swallows his saliva hard. "You knew me very well," he says, and his eyes look down to see her belly. Though he feels urged to tell her of the child forming within her, he stops himself before his lips could part to do the deed. And when she questions him again as if everything he had told her faded into oblivion, surely this is a sign that the news of a forming child within her would make matters a bit more complicated.

When she goes back to sleep, Sasuke is surprised to see how well she had connected with him, even if he knew she could forget everything the moment her eyes open again… That could include him, too. Perhaps Sakura could heal with him near her. She is intelligent. There is no way his cherry blossom could not overcome this new obstacle.

He yawns, and makes his way through the halls outside of the room. When he speaks to the doctor who tends to her, he informs him of his recent discovery: Sakura has lost her memory. Tests will have to be made; questions will rise from her parents and her worried husband. When Ino arrives with her small team of elites, her face immediately shows signs of complicating thoughts that Sasuke knows she is dealing with. In the mean time, Sakura is asleep with a smile, one that perks the muscles in her cheekbones, and extends from ear to ear.

#

Hinata brings the cup of warm, sweet chamomile tea to her lips as the other women settle down for coffee. Nerves are unsettled, and everyone has worry plastered on their faces. While Ino contemplates about her friend's sudden memory loss, the other women have nothing to say to ease the blonde woman's mind. It is a harsh truth, one that enables her to lightly bite on her finger nail. Her eyes are focused on something in the middle of the table, but the ladies don't question it.

"When will we able to go visit?" asks Temari. Her hands play with the napkin, ripping it into tiny pieces.

"Ease up, will you?" Tenten beckons as she taps Temari's hand. "This is awkward for all of us."

Hinata takes another sip of her tea and brings down the cup. "They haven't said anything about visiting… If she's lost her memory, who knows what will happen if she sees a group of women that she can't recognize? Naruto told me that when she saw Sasuke, she didn't know who he was."

The pale-eyed woman brings her hands down to her lap, feeling the warm comfort of her loose-fitting, maternal dress she recalls her mother wore when she was pregnant with Hanabi.

"And what can happen?" Karui joins in the conversation, pushing away her cup of coffee. "Can't Ino break into her head and just fix her?"

The woman who's eyes resemble the color of the sky turns to face Karui. She shakes her head, squinting as if she has trouble looking at the woman who is sitting a person away. Her lips part, and so she says, "It's complicated. Sakura could be fighting her own mentality, for all I know… she has a very strong will…" Ino recalls her first Chunin exams when she managed to invade her best friend's consciousness. "It causes a strain through every network of her brain. If I force my way in, who knows what else could happen? I could get hurt… Or she could collapse, or something."

"_Or_ something sounds like the alternative of negative thought," insists Temari. "That something can turn out to be a good thing."

"Don't be fooled. Or _something_ can always mean the worse is to come." Mutual agreement to Tenten's claim surfaces. The women watch Ino tentatively, wondering themselves if time really is the best option.

"There could be the possibility that her body will tigger something on its own and mend the damaged channels…" Ino silently says, thinking up new theories that could be tested out when Sakura gains her strength to begin perfectly planned procedures designed by herself and other medic ninja who have been assigned to keep her monitored. Once again, her finger tip is between nibbling teeth. "Time is the best, and safest way."

"We could always reintroduce her to her favorite foods," Hinata offers.

"Familiar faces and stories can trigger something," adds Karui.

Tenten's face goes pale, and when Temari notices, it is the dread that looms over the both of them. They're sure Ino notices the tension and perhaps knows what is going through their minds when her eyes fall on the women.

"Familiar faces and stories," repeats Temari. "This means Sasuke needs to tell her everything."

Hinata falls silent, recalling the horrible stories she had heard of Sasuke's previous attempts to kill her, failing twice all thanks to her current husband and his former teacher (now Hokage).

"It will hurt… But the painful memories could bring back everything," adds Tenten. "That is a possibility."

"But the brain doesn't work like that… Hints could bring about realization. There could be a possibility Sakura blocks out all the good and keep in the bad. Sasuke will need to find a way to ease up on those."

#

She started asking about her family all over again the minute her parents left. Sakura often commented on her father's strangely shaped hair, and her mother's annoying prying. Insisting she could feed herself, Mebuki continuously took away the spoon from her to feed her soup herself. Kizashi shared little stories about Sakura when she was younger which made Sasuke blush… They were stories maybe he would have rather not know. Nonetheless, Sakura continued to listen with wide eyes, but still no recollection of the stories.

"And you are absolutely sure I am related to them?" she asks, stuffing her mouth with a tiny chocolate square from the red chocolate box her father snuck into her room.

Sasuke nods. He's smiling with arms crossed, sitting at the foot of the bed.

"I look nothing like them…"

Sasuke agrees with her, though he says nothing. The only thing she has in common with them is the hair (inherited from her father) and personality (inherited from her mother). While she sucks on the sweets with a hum, he contemplates on how their child will look. There is a strong possibility that their baby boy, or girl would come out with black hair. Sasuke remembers growing up surrounded by men all his life during training. The only woman that he knew was strong enough to train with him (though he had only done so a few times) was his mother Mikoto. Looking away from his wife for just a while while he retrieves the chair on the far side of the little gray room, he secretly hopes the expected baby is a girl. He has never really thought about it, but remembering his mother makes him want a little girl. _Hopefully_, he thinks, _hopefully she will look like Mom_.

"S-Sasuke?"

"Yes?"

With the swallowing of the chocolate that she felt stick to her throat, Sakura puts away the box on the night stand and smiles shyly.

"You are my husband?"

Sasuke nods. He finds her questioning of their marriage statuses to each other somewhat frustrating, but he understands. He will learn to be patient with someone who has been patient for him for a long time.

"Well, then…" She hesitates, twisting the ring on her finger and Sasuke is finally sitting beside her on the chair. "Do I love you?"

What a question. Surely, Sasuke should tell her _"yes, you do love me,"_ but there is hesitation in his part as well. He imagines that she is meeting him for the first time, and maybe this time her feelings have shifted because she cannot remember him. So he swallows his saliva down hard with a gulp.

"How do you feel about me exactly… At this moment, I mean." He cannot answer for her. He just can't!

Her cheekbones redden, as do her ears. "I know nothing about you, Sasuke Uchiha." Her eyes lower to the ring she's been fiddling with for some time now. It's only been two days since she has awakened, and surely no one expects her to make drastic progress when it comes to her own memory. "I-I'm sorry."

He finds her hand on her lap, and she looks up to see him. Today he is not smiling. He's been serious, or at least, he's been too preoccupied with thoughts about things she cannot understand right now. Though she has seen him smile before, when she looks into those very dark eyes that consume her, she sees some kind of agony. There is always pain in his eyes and wonders if this is how it's always been for his entire lie. If it has been that way for so long, how did she learn to love him? How did the Sakura of her past realize there was something in him that made her, quite possibly, smile and laugh… Maybe cry. Did he ever make her cry?

Her train of thought is lost within the eyes that seem to search for her light. And when he says, "Would you like to get to know me again, Sakura?" she is afraid to answer him.

Will she feel what her past-self felt?

"Please answer," he presses, and so do his hands on hers.

_"But I barely know you,"_ could be her answer now, but he can counter it with the question he is asking her at the moment.

So she nods, smile and all, though deep inside her, she is unconvinced that this will be a good thing.

There is ease, and then there is a relapse of stress. While Sasuke very much wants to tell her about the good and the bad that has come between the both of them, including Naruto, he is afraid she will hear it all and reject him. Ino has talked to him about this… She is making sure that Sakura will be well enough to begin this process. The timeline of her entire life will be spoken about from the people that know and love her the most: her friends and family; teachers and students… Sakura's name is written in new Academy text books for generations to know.

"When can I start getting to know you?" she asks.

"Soon," he says.

* * *

><p><strong>*Note. <em>Happy Valentine's Day! <em>**_I hope Sasuke didn't seem a little too OOC here... But I wouldn't know how much he has changed because of Sakura after Ch. 699/700 (but we got a sincere smile in 699, so I took a guess, and figured the man smiles for his wife every day anyway)._

_ Thank you so much for your awesome support! I really don't know how else to thank you lol :)_

_- FoF_

_[Last Updated: Saturday, 02-14-15]_


	8. Cherry Blossom

**Chapter 8**

Cherry Blossom

Sasuke held Sakura by the hand as they motioned along the street. Each place rose new questions about where they were and why they were going through this place. People who have come to know about Sakura only say their name in a mere whisper. The new attention they've been receiving, besides the turning of their heads when they see the couple walking along, hand in hand, has become too much of a painful reality for Sasuke. While his wife is in this state, other people pity him the most. But why? Why would they pity him when it is his wife who has been going through this?

When children scurry towards them, Sasuke knows the attention is for his heroic wife, and not him. He watches as the children, about four, or five of them, talk among themselves so they approach the couple. They are happily looking up and down at each Sasuke and Sakura, probably thinking about a new ridiculous question his wife has to clarify. But then a boy tugged on his sleeve and Sasuke had to look down to meet the green eyes of a tiny, plump child that smiles oddly at him, revealing a wide gap of missing teeth on the front.

"Can I see the Sharingan?" he asks with a little smile.

Sasuke feels heat surfacing on under the skin of his cheeks. Sakura looks on in a smile, but confused to what the Sharingan even is.

"Not at the moment," Sasuke says wearily, drawing a forced smile to his thin lips. "I'm kind of busy."

"Oh, come on, _please_!"

Maybe showing them would be the best to get the little brats out of the way, he thinks. But Sakura has never—or no, Sakura is yet to see the strange red in his eyes that has made him powerful and near-legendary in this state. There is no telling how she'd react seeing something strange in his eyes… For all she knows, she is an ordinary citizen. She could easily be drawn into the mysterious, dark prowess of the eye.

"I can't," Sasuke dryly retorts. "Not now, at least."

Sakura frowns at the disappointment in the children. And when Sasuke thinks they are to leave them alone, the plump child tugs on the hem of Sakura's shirt.

"Then can we see you rip the earth in half?" he eagerly says.

Sasuke's hand finds comfort in his face and he shakes his head. _What irritating children_, he comments in his head. When his hand leaves his face, his eyes trail the base of Sakura's stomach and wonders if their child will be anything like these. _I hope not_, Sasuke thinks.

"Rip the earth in half?" Sakura snorts suddenly and a giggle erupts from her throat. "No way, that's impossible."

The children who had encircled her stare at her in bewilderment. What did she mean it was impossible?

"We don't understand," says a girl.

"Well, I, uh…" Her brows dip. "I don't understand you."

The plump boy shakes his head. "You're Sakura Haruno! Wife of the Sasuke Uchiha, and the formed disciple of Tsunade Senju! You… You…" The boy squints lightly, trying to process the words he wants to say. "You're extraordinary!"

Sakura blinks. "Extraordinary?" She lightly smiles. "I'm just a normal person… Or so I think I am."

They all watch her in confusion as she turns to face Sasuke, who irritably, has cold sweat seeping from his brow. _"Aren't I?"_ she asks him.

Sasuke takes hold of Sakura's left hand a motions the other to the kids. "Please excuse us," he says rather politely, though he wants to give each kid a personal lesson in space.

He is pulling her along as his long legs fashion their way through the crowds. Sakura follows along, looking at the people around her, wondering if she knows any of them. Though she cannot fully comprehend what is happening, why it is happening, and why she is in this strange place, she is complying to the patience everyone has given her. For a moment, she watches as the strange man she is known to be her husband drags her along the street. They match rings, and he seems to know her very well… But… Just why is she so compelled to him? Even in her new stage of mind she began to wonder if her love for this interesting, mysterious-looking man could surpass any change.

And while she is watching the back of his head bellow as his movements pull her to him, she catches him looking over his shoulder. His brows curve, and soon he comes to a stop, drawing her so very near to his warm body. She shutters. It isn't the cold air that makes her feel chills… It's him. This man here that has his arm wrapped around her is doing this to her. She tries to remember the connections between him and herself, but there are none.

His dark eyes fall on her, and she looks up to see him, blush and all. He smiles, and so does she. This strange connection she is yet to comprehend is still making her do these things. And so, she looks down at the ring in her finger.

"S-Sasuke?" Even saying his name is foreign, but his name is the only one that has stuck with her since the moment she met him. Maybe he loves her that much, she thinks, if he had given up his daytime duties just to make sure she was okay. And her heart palpitates at the thought of such overwhelming feelings that may intake him.

"Yes, Sakura?"

At the sound of her name, she feels at ease. The way he speaks makes it seem as if this identification, Sakura Haruno, or even Sakura Uchiha were solely hers now.

"I want you to take me home," she says.

His eyes widen, but she places a single hand on his cool cheek. "I want you to tell me how we met…"

#

_The story itself seemed rather vague on how they had met. Perhaps Sasuke didn't really mind the strange, pink-haired girl that most of his classmates ,axe fun of due to her large forehead… It was a forehead he didn't see as so big. He had seen other people with even larger ones. But his mind never really focused on the size of someone's features. He had no time to waste for those stupid things, actually._

_So yes. Sasuke Uchiha doesn't remember when exactly was the first time he had spoken to Sakura, nor the first time she had attempted (and failed miserably) to talk to him. She was a shy girl, hiding behind the blonde little girl with rosy cheeks named Ino Yamanaka. And that girl in particular had no trouble festering his mood. She tried to talk to him, and he'd ignore her plainly. And then she would squeal an awful laugh, one that had caused Sasuke true irritation. He remembers how Sakura would peer shyly behind the Yamanaka-girl when they'd wave him goodbye as Itachi walked him home from school._

_And as they grew older, the pink-haired girl had started talking to him. Her hands were always on her back and the tip of her toes would dig into the hard wooden floors of the Academy building, or the dirt, leaving little craters. He noticed how she'd blush at the sound of his name… And, come to think of it, Sasuke always found himself at home blushing when Itachi teased m in front of his parents about the little pink-haired girl that dared call him a friend._

_It wasn't until Sakura and Naruto had been forced into a crummy team. And Sakura continued her flirtatious remarks, blushing under his gaze and always seeking for his arm to hold onto. At first he hated the little gestures, but as time went by… Missions that he had been hurt in and she was the unfortunate observer, he decided he didn't mind her hand on his arm, or her kind, welcome arms. He had felt too guilty for making her cry over his motionless body time to time._

Sasuke had listened carefully to what Ino told him to do. She briefly directed him to start with simple memories, those they know will let her gain trust over him and the other people she had known. So he did so, remembering their little times here and there before they graduated into Genin status. Sakura listened, nodding with his every word as her hands enveloped the mug of the sweet brew of tea. Her smiles often came when he mentioned something that she thought she wouldn't do, which was annoy the man she had come to marry. But they were children, so she rolled her eyes, laughing a little and thinking that maybe she understood her actions.

And when he had mentioned the guilt he had felt when she cried over his motionless body, she shook her head and clasped her hand over his.

"Your heart has stopped?" she asks in worriful glances.

Sasuke shakes his head. "There were times you thought I was dead. On our first real big mission, I was attacked with needles, you see… And it had me paralyzed, making my body mimicking death."

Sakura tries to picture Sasuke on the ground with needles poking through his clothes. Shuttering at the thought, Sasuke runs the other hand over hers and smiles assuringly, saying, "But I promise you it barely hurt me." He winks. Sakura laughs.

"And who is Naruto?" she asks suddenly. She would want to know more about Ino, too, but she feels as if she has never seen Naruto Uzumaki.

Sasuke sighs wearily at the sound of the exhausting ninja's name. "Come," he says, taking a stand from the chair he's been sitting on for almost an hour.

So she follows him outside of the warm kitchen and enters the living room. Sasuke points to the picture on the bookshelf. There, Team 7 is posing for their first picture. Sasuke is looking irritatingly away from Naruto, the blond who is just as irritated, looking at Sasuke. Kakashi Hatake and Sakura were the only two looking at the camera.

Sakura giggles under her palm. "My," she breathes, "you look… Angry."

Sasuke sighs, but manages a smile. "I don't quite remember why I looked so mad." His eyes leave her for a moment as if deep in thought, scanning the ceiling. "I think I never really did like cameras."

Sakura laughs under her breath. "You still looked quite handsome."

His arm spreads around her shoulders and she blushes, still not quite getting used to this sensation she should have been accustomed to by now. Sasuke looks down at her with a gentle smile.

"And now that I think about it," he says, voice dragging along as if in a daze, "I did think you were pretty when I was a kid."

Sakura snorts and shakes her head. "No way," she says. "My forehead here…"

Sasuke puts his hand under her chin and directs her attention to him. In a gentle way, he pokes the center, almost pressing against the little purple diamond that shows her high status as a jōnin. "I very much love your forehead, Sakura."

And minutes passed as Sakura's eyes trailed every picture. Sasuke watched from the comfort of the couch how fascinated she was with the framed photographs of people she is yet to meet (again), and those that share some kind of intimate moment with her and Sasuke. She watched, heavy at heart with the uttermost feeling of longing and delight, the photograph of her kissing Sasuke's cheek, and his eyes lovingly looking back at her. They were sitting underneath a skinny tree with pink blossoms.

"Are those the cherry blossoms you wanted me to see?" she asks.

Sasuke stands from the couch, walking to her and nods. "Ah, yes…" He pulls her hand slightly to him, clasping it near his chest with a playful grin. "Would you like to see it?"

"Hm, where is it?"

Sasuke doesn't answer her, and he pulls her along for another one of his little field trips. But this one doesn't last very long because they are standing at the porch of the house. There, very near the front picketed fence, Sakura catches sight of the cherry blossoms that seem to look even more beautiful under a moon and starlit night.

"It's so beautiful," she whispers.

She watched as the light breeze swayed the branches of the trees, and how soft petals began to drizzle down. The grass below seemed to be covered by their intriguing color and strange shapes. Sakura wants to go closer, but is hesitant. It isn't until Sasuke intertwined his fingers with hers and motions her forward to where the tree is.

There, the ash-white tree trunk caught her eyes the most. The cherry blossoms land on their hair. She giggled happily at their soft touch against her skin and Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle under his breath at the sight of her happiness.

"You saw the picture, right?"

"That is correct," she answers, not really looking at him, but rather the petals that have landed on the top of his head.

"I chose this house for that tree," he suddenly says.

"Just for the tree?" she repeats, quizzically looking at him. She wants so very much to unlock all the mystery in this man who is her husband.

"It minded me of you," he says, walking closer to Sakura.

She tugs lightly on a lock of hair that lazily cascades over her cheek. "Because of the hair?"

He smirks. "Somewhat…"

She feels the cool touch of his lips on her forehead, and Sakura's lips curve slightly, smiling so dumbly at his kiss.

"When we moved in, I wanted to make sure something marked my senses that you will always be with me. And the cherry blossom tree is the first thing I see out the window when you would leave too early for work."

Sakura finds her arms wrapping around him. Sasuke takes her into his warmth, gently running his palm over her soft hair.

#

Sasuke shifts over and over in the bed and suddenly, his body lifts into some painful huddled position. Sakura had been sleeping in the other room, and she couldn't help but walk in to see the shirtless man grunting in some form of frustration. Her eyes are wide, full of fear and she is desperate to do something to make him feel safe.

"Sasuke?" she whispers, but he cannot hear her. His hands are in his head and he is still groaning. His eyes are shut.

He must be dreaming, Sakura thinks and she stammers to the bed.

Would it be appropriate for her to try to comfort him? She recalls the moment they shared under the tree. His arms wrapped around her made her feel so secure. Perhaps her arms around him would help him. So she climbs into the bed, pulling the soft, warm blanket over her own body, feeling his shaking leg against hers.

Hesitant, she watches as his whole body is shaking. Her heart skips a beat and tears want to begin forming in her eyes. How could she not mind being awakened so late? But he loves her. She knows he loves her, so her hand finally presses firmly on his back. Sasuke's head snaps to look at her and she notices the twinkling tears running down his cheeks.

"Sakura," he breathes, and drags the back of his hand over the wetness of his cheeks. "I'm sorry to awaken you."

She shakes her head and tugs on his arm gently. "It's okay," she whispers. "Are you okay?"

Unreal her touch, he is still somewhat shaky, but his response is a nod.

"I don't believe you," Sakura whispers back and smiles gently. "Come."

Sasuke's brows wrinkle, but he doesn't refuse. And then they lie there on the bed, her arms over his bare upper body. The heat he emits makes Sakura smile a bit. He is like a child, she thinks. She looks down to see him, her head against a huge mound of pillows and realizes he is not yet asleep.

His breath tickles her neck and his cheek is right over her right breast, but she doesn't mind it. This must be how it was back then, she thinks.

"You used to hold me like this," he whispers. "I'd wake up almost screaming like this and your hugs were the only ones to calm me."

Sakura blushes, and hopes that he cannot see her, but she is certain he can feel her.

"So you're fine now?" she asks.

He nods, and Sakura feels a rush of goosebumps run through out her body at the feel of his head rubbing against her breast. It is a funny reason to feel so sheepish, but she finds herself leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"I think I love you, Sasuke," she whispers.

He smiles under her chin and he finds the warmth and softness of her skin where his lips touch.

"I love you, too."

She watches him fall asleep, feeling giddy with her sudden confession. She wants to know more about when he realized she loved him, or when she realized he loved her. Her eyes scan the interior of the bedroom, and inhales deeply, feeling his heavy head against her chest. He can probably hear her rapid heart beat, but it doesn't matter to her anymore. The feelings she had felt overwhelm her for a while have turned to this. Her eyes find the window he was talking about with her, and he was right. The cherry blossoms are there facing the window and waging with the breeze.

Her eyes close to sleep, and that night, she dreamt something interesting. Within that dream, Sakura is crying harshly by a bench, but she cannot depict any of the words she is saying. In front of her is a young Sasuke, almost the same boy she had previously seen in the framed photograph on the book shelf, and he won't turn to see her no matter how hard her sobs travel through the air. _"You're annoying," _he said with a smirk and he turned to see her. And then suddenly she couldn't see him. _"Thank you,"_ he lastly said, and then he's gone. Everything goes black.

* * *

><p><strong>*Note. <strong>_I hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day Weekend! It took me a while to figure out exactly what I was going to write in this chapter, but here it is! Lol. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)_

_-FoF_

_[Last Updated: Monday, 02-16-15]_


	9. Unfamiliar, or Familiar?

**Chapter 9**

Unfamiliar, or Familiar?

Sasuke shifts in the bed once, and then a second time when he could no longer feel Sakura beneath him. His eyes trace the empty space before him and the dark-red bedsheets that cover him fling off. He could feel a tingling sensation at the lowest point of his spine. This feeling is all too familiar, and he reminds himself it is the way Sakura's chakra gravitates to him. The energy she emits is the only one that can cause chills to run down his spine. He has loved her for so long, and each time she is close, the same sensation overtakes his entire being. Taking in a deep breath, he maneuvers out of the bed.

Finding his way out the door of the bedroom, he hears low breathing from the living room and is surprised to find Sakura sleeping silently on the couch. Her chest heaves steadily breath after breath. Sasuke's eyes are transfixed on her long lashes, pink lips, and the purple diamond-seal that distinguishes her from every woman on earth. He realizes now how she is wearing her usual night attire: soft pink tank-top and short shots. Smiling, he remembers the first time he had seen her like this…

Sasuke was tired that night, and the minute she peered from the bathroom door, he had to look twice to make sure it was her. Sakura laughed at his boyish blush and she crawled into bed beside him where the sunlight hits every morning. When she had put the covers over her body, Sasuke peeled it away and he hungrily gazed at her, this time making her blush.

The thought of that night makes the base of his stomach warm with need, but there is no way he could convince a clueless Sakura to will herself to him. He had missed her, and now that she's in front of him, he still can't embrace her in any way. Last night was something lovely to him. He had awoken with a nightmare and the Sakura he remembers had embraced him. Feeling her heart beat against his ear made him smile, and when she had 'confessed' her feelings for him (as if she didn't have already before), his heart skipped a beat.

What if she doesn't get better? Will the love she had for him vanish along with all those memories? Last night she had told him that she loves him. No, she didn't actually say she loved him, Sakura had said that she thinks she does. How would that change over time, when she begins to ask him questions about her past—their past? So many things run through his mind. There had been so many times he had hurt her. She will run, no doubt… Or, if her heart is the same as it was before, she will stay. And they will nurture the baby growing deep within her together.

Sasuke's first priority is to rouse her from sleep. He squats beside her resting body and tugs away a loose strand of pink hair. He leans in, his face hovering just slightly over her own and presses his lips firmly over her forehead.

"I love you," he whispers, and her eyes flicker open in his presence.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he asks, and jerks his head back at her stunned appearance.

She yawns, a small tear tickling down the side of her cheek. "It's fine," she whispers.

"Are you hungry?" he asks. With a forceful push of his legs, he stands upright and begins his walk to the kitchen. "I'll make you something."

"That will be—nice." Sakura's eyes linger on him for a few moments before he disappears rom her gaze. He has a strong-looking body, carved with muscle. His body is as graceful as he appears to be. Only now does she realize that she had seen the husband she barely knows naked from the waist up, and she had embraced him in that state. With nothing more to think about, her cheeks flush with deep red. How embarrassing, she thinks.

He walks to the kitchen and she watches from the couch. Troubled. She seems troubled and all for reasons she cannot comprehend. Sakura had dreamed of him last night, and it was something unexpected. Sasuke Uchiha was a child, as was she, and she was crying something to him she couldn't fathom. Only his words clung to her, and it was the sudden darkness that wants her to know more. Could she possibly ask Sasuke of this? Would the man know some answer to settle her nerves?

"Naruto and Kakashi will be meeting us," Sasuke suddenly says from the kitchen.

Sakura blinks at him, unable to come up with a response, and he realizes that she is still unaware of who they are completely. He had only spoken to her about them briefly yesterday.

"Friends," he insists. "Kakashi is our Hokage and was our teacher. Naruto is our friend."

"Oh."

It is the little blond boy and gray-haired man she had seen in the photograph only yesterday. She smiles, hoping that seeing the both of them could reawaken her senses.

#

_The first thing she had noticed is was an elongated tongue. Sinister laughter filled her ears, and then her eyes trailed the masses of snakes piercing from his arms. It was Sasuke she had seen behind him, the strange man. She squints, trying to process what it is she has been seeing, but before she could come up with any conclusion, they disappear._

Sakura blinks twice and finds herself sitting across from Sasuke. She was at a daze, and he hadn't noticed. Her tea cup is still full, and Sasuke is already standing up from his seat. He notices that she hasn't touched her tea, and furrows his brows. She is definitely thinking about something, but by the look on her face, he cannot decide.

When he turns his back to her, it is Sakura's voice and chosen words that stop him from getting near to the sink: "You did something to me."

His head lowers, and she watches as his dark hair drapes over his bare shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

Sakura looks away and takes a deep breath. "Long ago when we were…" She squints as if the following word was hard to say. _"Genin."_

Sasuke closes his eyes and furrows his brows. There is an ache in his chest that is making his breathing irrational.

"Um, why… Why, uh, do you say that?" It's hard for him to speak.

"I had a dream last night… We were—"

The sound of the door bursting open takes the both of them by surprise. Sasuke rushes to the living room, and his pained expression softens at the sight of Naruto and Kakashi.

"Go put on a shirt, Sasuke!" Naruto screeches.

"My house, moron… How'd you even get in if the door's locked?"

Kakashi sighs deeply. "We are ninja, Sasuke. Do I need to definite the term for you?"

"No thank you," Sasuke mumbles lowly. "Sakura is in the kitchen."

Naruto proceeds, but Sasuke catches him with swift movement, hand on the blond man's chest with warning. "Don't frighten her, Naruto."

"I won't."

"I mean it."

"I know."

Sasuke glares at him. "I swear, Naruto if—"

Naruto pushes off the man's hand from him. "I've known Sakura for many years already, Sasuke."

At Naruto's comment, Sasuke swallows his saliva hard. "Try to remember that she lost her memory, okay? Your hyperactive tendencies will leave her more uncertain of who she associated with."

"More uncertain of who she associated with?"

"Did something happen?" Kakashi starts.

Sasuke shakes his head, but he remembers clearly of Sakura's earlier question. "Nothing," he murmurs. "I'll be back."

He leaves to his room and the other two males stay behind. It'd be best to wait for Sasuke so they could finally meet with Sakura.

When he returns, Sakura is beside him. She's wearing a simple T Shirt, a red one with shorts up to the knee, and Sasuke is wearing his usual black T shirt and pants, lazily looking at his Hokage and friend with irritation.

"Sakura," starts Sasuke, "this is Kakashi Hatake, our Seventh Hokage and previous mentor."

"Hello," she says with a smile, and Kakashi nods.

"That's Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke says, gesturing his hand to the eager blond boy who seems to have waited for his introduction for a lifetime. "The hyper one."

"Hey," Naruto mumbles in protest.

So then they take their seats on the couch, as Sakura listens closely of the stories Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki had to say. Her eyes constantly wandered from the gray-haired elder, to the blond, blue-eyed man in front of her. She often traced the whisker marks on his cheeks and wondered what they were, scars, or birthmarks? She would often look at Sasuke whenever his name was mentioned in the discussion. His lips were always at a firm line, and his leg rhythmically moved in an anxious way. He didn't seem comfortable, especially when they had mentioned how in love Sakura was, how Naruto's crush for her was unbearable, and how many times Sasuke rejected her.

The thought of her always seeking to be beside him made her flush pink. Though she is certain she had loved him sometime in the past, she could have those same feelings fluttering through out her. Trying to remember as hard as she could of their genin days, she often found herself secluded from their discussions, deafening their abrupt laughter, and protests of each other's words.

And when she had seen the sight of a young blond man saving her from falls, enemies, and making her laugh, her eyes water. He stood by her side in this daydream of hers, and they are somewhere under the shadow of a man before them. Someone she hears named Sai is next to the blond, and someone she had called Captain Yamato is next to her. And when her eyes trail the broken rock, she meets the dark gaze of Sasuke Uchiha. He is standing before them, overlooking them with a hurtful stare. She's unsure what he's saying, but is certain he had caused the distraction of the fallen walls. And then the snakes appear again.

The feel of a tear trickling down her cheek snaps her out of the daydream.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Sasuke says, leaning in to see her clearly.

She clenches her jaw and reaches to dry away the tear that had caught the attention of the three males. Sakura nods, trying to convince them, but failing when Naruto and Kakashi look the other way in disbelief.

"I'm fine," she says, this time with a short laugh. "I think I need some rest."

"Okay…" Sasuke does not protest and watches her disappear through the halls.

"She was crying," Naruto remarks. "What could she have been thinking of?"

Sasuke shrugs, frowning. "I wouldn't know."

"Something happened to her before we came, Sasuke, and we want to know," Kakashi says. His eyes are piercing through him. How could he know?

Biting the inside of his cheek, the male shakes his head at his senior in protest, but he beckons him.

"I'm your Hokage. I want to know."

Sasuke takes a deep breath. "I think she remembers something from when we were genin." He swallows. "She had said, not asked, that I did something to her when we were genin. She didn't seem confident in her statement, but she still said it. Sakura dreamed something last night that had to do with me."

Naruto crosses his arms. "Something to do with you? That could be anything. What else did she say."

Sasuke glares at him. "I wouldn't know because the both of you broke into my house before she could say anything more!"

Kakashi sighs. "Talk to her about it. Meet us in my office if you have any answers. I'll appoint Ino to look after her… Maybe figure out how she could look into her mind."

Sasuke agrees with a nod, and then are gone.

#

He takes a deep breath when he stands over her. She is asleep, and when his eyes closed, he seems to be completely out of his own body and within her mind. When he enters. He is greeted with his genin-self, and her at the same age. She is crying. He remembers… She is pleading for him to stay. When the darkness overcomes, the images he sees change and Orochimaru is using snakes against her while he sees himself stand behind the original Sanin. The image changes again, and there he is once more overlooking his friends, and the strange ninja's he had come to know later as Sai and Yamato.

Overwhelming feelings come to him, and at a heartbeat, his mind is his own. Using the Sharingan on his own wife… Who would have thought? His brows knit in firm, straight lines. This isn't good. She is remembering the worst things about him and their past. In silence, he only hopes she won't uncover the moments when he was far from being anymore sane… He doesn't want her to remember the time he had almost killed her after his victory over Danzo.

#

Sakura is shyly standing in a small office surrounded by bookshelves. There's a desk in the far end of the office, and she doesn't know what to think of this place. Sasuke had walked her here to talk to one of her old friends… She remembers meeting Ino before. To her surprise, the blonde woman is very beautiful: full grown breasts, flat stomach, curvy features, tall, and unforgettable hair. The sight of her brings a little jealousy, but remembering she had married Sasuke Uchiha settles her nervousness. Her husband is also attractive and she can't help but smile. She knows the man.

Sakura shakes his hand. "Sai," she mutters.

"Yes," he says, a smile forming on his thick lips. "You remember me, Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl nods enthusiastically. "Yes," she whispers, "I think I remember you."

Ino smiles brightly. "So you remember him, that's good. How about anything, or anyone else?"

"N-Naruto," she answers.

Ino rolls her eyes. "Who could forget that guy…" She laughs, as does Sakura, though she cannot fully understand the woman's joke.

"Come now, Sakura, sit… I want to know what troubles you."

"Troubles me?" She looks up to see Sai walking away. Only then does she take a seat on the chair opposite to the beautiful blonde woman who sits bed her desk.

"I can see it in your eyes. I don't even have to enter your head."

Sakura raises her brows. "How do you do that?"

"A kind of ninjutsu," she says and shakes her head. "Enough about that, though. I want to know what you know."

"I had a dream about Sasuke," she starts and continues to unfold her insecurities. Ino listens patiently, noting something down on a piece of paper swiftly whenever she hears something that seems important. Her eyes barely leave Sakura's as the pink-haired woman talks. She had claimed she barely remembers him, though she feels deep down that there is something familiar about him. When she mentions the snakes, Ino's eyes widen, and then she frowns, marking down a few notes and turning her attention back to her friend.

"Things happened, Sakura," Ino starts. "I want you to know that through all of those hard times,my you still loved him. And you love him now, don't you?"

She shrugs. "I think I do… I _feel_ like I do."

Ino smiles, her blue eyes piercing through the emerald ones in front of her. "I know I'm supposed to hold back on telling you anything, Sakura, but for now, focus on my words." She smiles slightly. "You're pregnant. How do you feel about that?"

Sakura's eyes widen in disbelief, heat dictating her cheeks and reddening at the news._ "Pregnant?"_

"Sasuke is the father. The baby is inside of you because, well, the both of you had proven your love to each other a lot…" Ino muses at the talks she had with Sakura, and the other woman about their husbands for a while before returning her attention to the woman in front of her. "Tell me how you feel."

"Surprised," she answers. Ino giggles.

"Yes, I know…"

"Sex, right?"

Ino's eyes widen, lips parted in bewilderment. "What?"

"That's what it's called… We had sex."

Ino nods. "Yes, you know what that is, then."

"Yes…"

Their discussion ends when Sasuke peers by the doorway. When they leave, Sakura places her palm on her belly and smiles warmly while looking at the concrete beneath their feet. Sasuke turns to look at her, only catching the sight of her hand placed over her belly, and a low head.

"Do you feel sick?" he asks.

Sakura shakes her head. "No… I'm just in disbelief."

"Why?"

She smiles and looks up to see him. "Because you're my husband."

Sasuke's glaring eyes soften, and he smiles.

"And because I'm expecting a child."

"So you know…"

She nods. "Ino told me."

A long sigh escapes the male's lips as they make their way through the streets. "And how do you feel about that?"

She looks away from his gaze. "Happy."

He cannot decide if she is happy or not. She isn't looking at him, and is always looking the other way. Regardless of how he thinks she feels, Sakura is smiling happily with her hand on her belly. She watches as they pass by the people, and they watch them in curiosity. When they look down to see she is caressing her belly, they automatically know what is happening.

#

Sakura awakens that night beside Sasuke. She furrows her brows and contemplates about her most recent dreams. What are the meanings behind snakes and red eyes that can see in the dark? When her eyes drop back onto the man who is sleeping facing her, she can't help but feel vulnerable. Surely, there is something that he is hiding from her... But what is it?

* * *

><p><strong>*Note. <strong>_Sorry for my late update! I was wound up with other things. Anyway, I'll be sure to update either on Monday, or Tuesday :) _

_Thank you for your patience._

_- FoF_

_[Last Updated: Sunday 02-22-15]_


	10. Memoriam

**Quoted dialogue in Italics and that are underlined were from the manga. I happened to use MangaHere translations -that's what was available on the manga reader app I use. To ease confusion, the dialogues that are not underlined are simply my own material.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

_Memoriam_

_Sasuke is lying over Sakura, his arm around her waist. They're talking about something, and Sakura looks relatively calm and collected, while Sasuke is in the same calm. Her husband is smiling. He kisses the bottom of her chin and comes to a rest on her breast. Sakura's eyes look over to see the tree out their window._

_The scene changes again, and Sakura awakens from her sleep. Sasuke is still over her, but only slightly. The woman lightly pushes him off from her, careful not to wake him, though it seems impossible: he's out cold. Sakura yawns silently as she scrambles out of bed. Her emerald eyes scan the room briefly and suddenly land on Sasuke. She takes notice of his chest heaving rhythmically with every intake of air. She smiles lightly, though she seems somewhat troubled by something. The cold air through the room makes her feel goosebumps pricking from her skin as she makes her way through the room, maneuvering through the darkness… Her eyes are barely open._

_She closes the door behind her and shuffles through the still living room. She doesn't know how, but she makes it as far as to the couch and falls against it, falling asleep._

_Another time, the scene changes and she is lying beneath a curious Sasuke's gaze. She had taken interest in his features, and then contemplates about something that is unclear, unwritten in her memory. She finds herself sitting in front of him, still confused about something, and when she tries to speak, no words could form from her mouth. Then the door bursts open and Sasuke leaves the kitchen in quick pace, but somewhat cautious. She takes notice of the fists he had formed. Yes, she knows he is a ninja, and Sakura knows that she, too, is, or at least was in the past—a past she cannot remember. For a brief moment, she is in the bedroom and she's quickly changing out of the short-shorts and into longer ones, somewhat like caprice and a red tee. Sasuke appears and he quickly fashions his black T-Shirt over his shoulder and pulls it down. He smiles lightly, and places his hand under her chin._

_"You seem troubled," he murmurs, and leans in to kiss her forehead._

_Sakura jerks back a little bit, and Sasuke furrows his brows in disappointment. Pulling away a loose strand of her pink hair over her left ear, he apologizes and makes his way to the door._

_They're outside in the living room again. Sakura greeted Hokage Kakashi Hatake and Naruto. She was seated in front of the blond man, and once again she gets lost in deep concentration. Something is amiss, and soon after she is crying for something that is not recorded into memory. There's a tear streaming down her cheek, and she takes notice of Sasuke who leans in to see her._

_"Are you okay?" he asked._

_"I'm fine," she murmured. "I think I need some rest."_

_She stands from her seat and locates her way to the bedroom where she falls against the comfort of the bed. So she fell into slumber, but barely dreams. It is only the sudden feeling of hurt that she feels in the head._

_Everything is red… It is all fear. The sight of red eyes, the Sharingan—_

Ino jerks her head back in some sort of pain. Sasuke, Kakashi and Naruto watch with wide eyes. Something had troubled Ino when she searched through Sakura's mind. The pink-haired woman is still in some sort of daze. Her emerald eyes are looking forward, but Ino had told them that she isn't really looking at anything. There is nothing they can do until she stirs from the dreamscape and into reality.

The blonde kunoichi is trembling hysterically; hands against her head and her breathing is wicked. Her assistant, a male from the same Yamanaka clan tries to coax her to from her sudden panic attack. Her shallow breaths could be heard, and Sasuke's jaw clenches.

About another three minutes pass, and Ino finally recollects herself. Her icy-blue eyes scan the office, and then fall straight upon Sasuke Uchiha, who watches with anticipation.

"What the hell did you do?"

Those words ring in everyone's ears. Even her assistant pulls away from her reach and settles by the desk. Sasuke looks at her, astonished by her sudden outburst.

"What do you mean?"

Ino's lip twitches. "You used the Sharingan on her, Sasuke." She dips her brows in glare. "You probably triggered something in her head…" The blonde murmurs and joins her hands together over her desk. "I can't see anything more, but she has been having troubling dreams. She is confused."

Kakashi glares at Sasuke, but retains any words he could lash out on the man. It was a specific instruction when Sakura was released from the hospital that no jutsu could be used on her until it was certain she was ready. Ino was the only exception, having surpassed her late father, she is excellent at her job. Interrogation through the mind is something she is best at. Trying to uncover anything that can bring back Sakura's true self using Ino's methods could be risky, and it is a risk Sasuke is willing to take as her husband and father of their future child.

Ino closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I'm going to try something… Don't interrupt me."

She stands and makes her way over to Sakura, placing a hand on the top of her head. She closes her eyes, and with a drawing of a deep breath, she quietens.

"What is she doing," Naruto whispers.

"Psycho Mind Transmission," Kakashi whispers back. "It's a hard ability… I didn't think Ino knew it."

_"Shhh!"_ the blonde woman snaps. "Let me concentrate."

#

_The sound of multiple voices colliding at once ring into Ino's mind. When her eyes flutter open she's trapped inside the mind of Sakura Haruno. It is a strange place. She remembers that each mind has different passage ways to a person's inner most thoughts, or even blocked memories. In here, she feels weightless. Her body moves gracefully from where she is now (a current point to which she will name: Nowhere in Particular)._

_The place is somewhat dark. There are no passage ways to enable her entrance. No… Of course not. She furrows her brows when she turns every which way, but up. And when Ino finally does catch glimpse of what is above her, she smirks at the sight of tunnel, darker than this point dubbed 'Nowhere.'_

_She raises her hand and feels herself rise to this dark tunnel. Even in another's mind she could manipulate her surroundings. There, on the other side of the tunnel, the colliding voices ring away and only leave those of Sakura. She sounds younger, and she smiles at the shrilling. High-pitched voice that her best friend once had. It's strange to hear it after so long._

_Ino's eyes widen at the sight of Team Kakashi's Bell Test, though she cannot fathom the situation (since Team Asuma's had a different initiation test). She shakes her head at the sight of Naruto tied to a pole while the others eat. The annoying brat she had come to get used to over the years is screaming something, but the jumbled up words that are drawing Ino away are beginning to flood her ears. But with a smile, Ino leaves this scene and follows the other drawing sounds._

_Icy-blue eyes catch the sight of a strange apparatus in the middle of this tunnel. It's in the form of a tree, and on each branch there are thick scrolls where past memories have been stored in the brain. And Surely, that must be where users of this technique conjure up important information, even those that have been long lost. With the lifting of her hand, she finds the smooth feel of a large, rolled up scroll._

_Retracting her hand slightly, moving her palm over to the end, she closes her eyes and begins to pour chakra, an attempt to break the seal. Almost immediately the page unravels in swift motion. and the information starts flowing through…_

_'…He can do whatever he wants. If I acted like that my parents would ground me for months. He's so lucky, all alone, no parents to never say what to do, and not to do. That's why he always makes trouble.'_

_'All alone...'_

_'Huh?'_

_'The feeling of a parent yelling at you is nowhere near what he feels.'_

_'What's wrong, Sasuke?'_

_'You're annoying.'_

_Ino's eyes open suddenly. What exactly was that?_

_Sasuke and Sakura's voices flooded through. And she had seen them… Sakura was standing by the bench, and Sasuke so happened to walk by… Who were they talking about? And when had he called Sakura annoying, just like that? Her eyes widen momentarily. They were discussing about Naruto and his feelings. Yes… That memory was from when they were Genin. She cannot remember once when Sasuke snapped at any girl who had went chasing after him. He seemed spiteful there at the time… What could have caused this? And Sakura looked so distraught, ashamed, even. It's hard to believe Sasuke could be so cold towards her even then (though he was cold with everyone). Even his reason to marry Sakura is enclosed._

_Ino's eyelids slowly drift back against the bottom ones, closing her eyes again and finding her place at the end of the scroll. Indeed they were talking about Naruto. She watched as Sasuke left her there. He went to search for the blond brat and she stayed behind to contemplate about his words. On that moment she had decided to be kinder to Naruto._

_The scene quickly transitions. It is a swift drift from the classroom, meeting Kakashi Hatake for the first time, and suddenly their bell test. Sakura had fallen more than once, waking from genjutsu and suddenly again after thinking she had found Sasuke's severed head. Ino can't help but furrow her brows and smirk at the event. Sakura sure was clueless back then, no matter how intelligent she had claimed to be._

_There's a sudden feel of a forceful pull. Ino winces… She's using too much chakra, and she is still unaccustomed to performing Psycho Mind Transmission._

#

Kakashi Hatake furrows his brows as he watches. She has been in Sakura's mind for a prolonged time, an hour to be exact. Remembering Ino's father Inoichi, he had said traveling through the mind of another feels as if it is only been a few minutes. It is an exhausting process, especially when needing to unblock certain details in the brain. Sakura is in need of unblocking; however the process is long, and there could be a possibility of damage rather than healing. The thought of Sakura never going back to her old ways is nerve wracking. She is a vital point of the entire village, or even nation.

His dark eyes turn to face Sasuke, who is tapping his foot against the hard wood floors in irritation. His arms are crossed and his thin lips are in a thin line. And when he turns to see Naruto, the blond man hasn't unraveled his fingers from his fist, nor has his expression softened… Kakashi sighs profoundly and rolls his eyes.

What a day.

Ino's hand comes down to her side and her eyes open slightly. She has had them closed for some time, and the bright light shining through the window is glaring against her. For a moment,p she stands in front of Sakura in some kind of daze. She has to slowly become aware of her surroundings, hoping her mind is not trapped still within Sakura's.

The pink haired woman's eyes are closed. She isn't sleeping, but she isn't entirely conscious either.

"Are you alright, Ino?" The voice of her male assistant travels through her ears, causing her to place her hand on her face.

She wrinkles her nose, pinching the bridge and finally turning to look over her shoulder at the three males waiting impatiently for any news of Sakura's state of mind.

"So?" begins Naruto, his voice low.

Ino blinks twice, and now realizes she is in the real world. "I was only able to go so far," she mutters, then yawns. "I'm exhausted and I've only been in there for a few minutes.

Kakashi shrugs, bringing his hands up and eventually putting them down. "Sure, if sixty minutes counts as a few minutes."

Her eyes widen. "Really? An hour?" Her nose wrinkles in irritation. "My father, and even others have done it for longer…"

"Perhaps," replies Kakashi, "But this was your first attempt, and you went on longer than ten minutes."

Sasuke takes a stand from his chair. "This was your first time doing this technique?" His brows furrow and he glares at her, his voice desperate.

"Yes," counters the blonde woman, crossing her arms and glaring back at him. "But I've done enough research to know the process." She shifts her gaze to Sakura. "I've unraveled some things from her earlier years… When the three of you barely became a team, and some…" Her eyes then land on Sasuke, and she furrows her brows, recalling the _"you're annoying"_ comment.

_"Other things,"_ she concludes.

#

Sasuke has his hands in his pockets and Sakura has her hands behind her back. His dark eyes shift to look at her. The woman is wearing a gentle smile, looking down at the pavement and humming lightly as she strolls along. When her emerald eyes turn to meet his, Sasuke quickly looks away, heat surfacing from under his cheeks.

Why do I feel so… so shy all of a sudden, he thinks. He is certainly blushing.

And when Sakura looks at his light, pink cheeks, she brings her hand up to her mouth, fingers curled under her palm and giggles silently.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asks, his voice catching her attention.

"Just you," she chimes.

"Me?" The heat under his cheeks has yet to go away.

"Yes, you," she says, smiling to him. "You're blushing."

Sasuke shakes his head, trying his hardest to suppress his growing smile. "I'm not."

She protests his claim with a nod. "Yes you are… I can't remember you blushing…"

His eyes widen. "You can't remember me blushing?"

Sakura nods shyly. "Whatever Ino did to me helped in some way. I can only recall some things." She swallows. "Some things I didn't want to remember, too."

The sound of her voice is almost a whisper. Whenever she speaks like that, Sasuke knows there is something she isn't telling him, or perhaps she is upset about something. Even so, she still smiles fondly at him.

"What do you remember?"

She pouts. "You calling me _annoying_."

"Hn," Sasuke smirks and hums in response. "How old were we in that memory?"

"We were genin," she says, furrowing her brows at the memory of his glare and harsh word. "We were talking about Naruto."

Sasuke closes his eyes. "That was when you didn't understand anything about me, or Naruto. But over time, that 'you're annoying' line has meant so much between you and I."

Sakura blushes under his steady gaze when he opens his eyes to meet her way.

"Did it really?"

He nods. "Yes." He draws his hand over her shoulders and kisses her lightly on the cheek. "And it still does."

People are watching them, smiles and all and Sasuke finds the heat resurfacing on his cheeks. He doesn't recall one time he has kissed her in public eye, and when he does, no one is ever watching, or the stolen kiss happens immediately. The only people who have witnessed such intimate gestures were Naruto, Hinata and even Sakura's student Aiko. And all those times they didn't mind. They all glanced at them lightly, smiling at his openly expressed affections. Other prolonged kisses and touches have always ever been discrete. He furrows his brows, looking at her and wonders if she'd ever remember those moments.

Then his eyes widen. If Ino managed to unlock those memories, would she see them, too? The thought makes the hair on the back of his neck curl.

"Let's go home, Sakura," he murmurs, trying to erase the thought of Ino's knowledge of his intimacy with Sakura. "And you can talk to me about those things on the way."

She nods, her pace equal to his. "There was another time you called me annoying," she says. "I want to know the meaning behind that time."

He nods. "Okay, how old were we then?"

She furrows her brows, trying to recollect the memory of her most vivid dream. "I think we were still genin."

He nods. "I remember…" His eyes drift away from hers and stares out into the open before the both of them. He looks at the people who make their way through the busy streets.

"I left the village," he finally says. The words feel painful to say, but he had to say it. She would eventually know, anyway, and there is no telling how she will. "It was to follow my own ambitions. You were crying out to me. Do you remember what you were saying to me?"

She shakes her head. "I don't… Not really."

He smiles. "You told me that if I stayed with you, you'd try your best to make me happy… That we'd be happy." He inhales deeply. "It was on that moment when you had confessed your love to me."

Sakura's cheeks redden when he gazes at her. Sasuke's eyes watch her warmly under his shadow.

"Were you happy?" she whispers.

He nods. "Yes," he mutters. "Because you were the only person in the entire village that has shown me such profound love since—well, in a long time. You always worried about me. It made me happy knowing someone could care so much for me."

Sakura's brows furrow. "Then why did you call me that?"

He smirks. "Annoying?"

She nods in response.

"Because I didn't know how to process it. I couldn't understand why someone like you: kind and bright could love someone like me, someone so cold. The first time I called you 'annoying' was for the reason of your misunderstandings of my feelings and Naruto's. On that time, that night it was I who didn't understand your feelings… At first I thought they were just words, but when I had seen the tears pouring from your eyes only then did I see your true feelings. You really did care.

"And so, I called you 'annoying' for that reason… you still didn't understand why my intentions were aspirations. The word annoying seemed the most appropriate at the time. I already knew you cared, but I tried hard to shake that knowledge away. It was… _annoying_."

Sakura smiles lightly. "And then you thanked me."

"For what you said… And I'll thank you over and over for the happiness you've given me."

She stays quiet for a little while, recalling the vivid recollection of that memory she had only recently gained.

"Why did you leave?"

His expression changes, showing more strain than interest. "My life was complicated. I'll tell you when you're ready to hear it, okay?"

"But I'm ready now."

Sasuke shakes his head. "No, you aren't. There are things you need to remember from your life so I can tell you. I don't want to cause your mind and heart harm for the sake of our child."

Sakura's left hand rests on her belly. Oh, yes, she remembers when Ino had told her she was pregnant. The news is sudden, but she is happy.

#

Sasuke shifts in the bed suddenly. Cold sweat runs down his forehead, temples and neck. His hands are gripping the bedsheets hard, but Sakura is fast asleep and doesn't realize this. And suddenly, he brings his weight forward, groaning in some pain he knows he isn't experiencing, yet his mind makes him believe he is. For a while, his hands tremble violently, finding their way to his face and he presses his head firmly against his palms, trying to quiet down before he could awaken his tired wife. He's breathing deeply, trying to calm his unsteady heart rate, but is failing miserably.

He wishes Sakura could awaken from her slumber to calm him… His eyes look over to see her dark silhouette. She is breathing steadily, and focuses on her steady breathing. Soon, he is calm, but nervous.

Sasuke wipes away the sweat from his brow and feels a cold chill run down his spine. I ha,in deeply, he recalls his dream. It is a dream, no, a nightmare he had the night Sakura consoled him.

They were still in the Fourth Shinobi World War, and Sasuke had driven his hand through Sakura's heart.

He remembers that he had placed her under that same genjutsu in order to keep her from interfering in his battle with Naruto. Why had that come back to haunt him? He lands his head back against his pillow and sighs. Sasuke wonders about Sakura and her well being. Would she leave him if she remembers all the bad things he had done? Will she feel the same pain she felt when he betrayed her?

* * *

><p><strong>*Note. <strong>_The quoted material (in italics and underlined) were taken from Chapter 3. I used MangaHere translations._

_In other news, I'm going back to updating once a week (every Saturday, Monday, or Tuesday). I have a lot of things to do nowadays and it's getting tough to schedule in some writing time. I do apologize, but I'm trying to write these chapters as long as I can. _

_Anyway, thank you so much for your awesome reviews and your patience between each update! You guys are awesome. :)_

_- FoF_

_[Last Updated: Saturday 02-28-15]_


	11. Recollection

**Chapter 11**

_Recollection_

"Alright, Sakura, you're all set."

"Is the baby okay?"

"Everything seems alright. But you say you're more exhausted than usual, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll make sure Yamanaka understands that she can't push you hard… Maybe drop the time to thirty minutes, rather than a complete hour, alright?"

Sakura nods. The female doctor, the one whose name she cannot remember (although she can distinctly recall that the woman has not really told her what her name is), looks at her with a solemn expression. Her silver brows wrinkle, and she lightly smiles down at her, running her body hand over Sakura's arm. It's as if she had just delivered some bad news to one of her regulars. Taking a deep breath, Sakura realizes that the woman pities her condition: A pregnant woman who cannot remember anything… She cannot remember her husband's intimate touch, why, or how she came to love him, or even the faces of her closest friends.

Stepping out of the office, Mebuki, her mother is waiting for her. Sasuke isn't here with her, today. He had told her he had some unfinished business to take care of with the Hokage, and she wonders what he meant. Her strange-looking father isn't here, either. She doesn't remember anyone clearly, and so she wishes to have them present. She doesn't mind having embarrassing stories of her past fumbles being told. She'd rather have them share these things with her because she is in need of remembrance.

"Everything okay?" Mebuki asks, putting a loose strand of her sandy-blonde hair behind her ear.

Sakura nods. "Yes, M-mom…"

The stuttering word makes Mebuki purse her lips. Sakura is still not accustomed to calling her "mom," or "mother" as she had done so in the past.

"Hang on right here, Sakura," the older woman mutters, "I'm going to see when your next appointment is due."

The pinkette nods, though Mebuki hadn't seen it. She stands in the middle of the lobby, placing her palm gently over her belly. Recalling the news of her pregnancy was interesting to her. She knows about sex; she can define it as either a description of someone's gender, or the intimacy between two people, man and woman, man and man, and woman on woman (though she had barely seen any same-sex couples in the streets of Konoha).

When Sakura cannot sleep, she leaves the comfort of the bed beside Sasuke and explores the house. The medical books stored in a small library, or office had intrigued her. Kakashi Hatake had once told her that she was an important person, one she cannot believe. Medical ninjutsu had been something foreign to her, or so, at least now it is. Reading those piles of books over night brought back some sense that she had tried to focus on the palms of her hands, practicing under the dimmed light. Honing chakra, or pouring chakra onto the palm of her hand is not an easy task. And when she had tried to do it, the strange illuminations that had appeared just on the tips of her fingers cut deeply into the book she had been studying.

She needs to find a replacement for that book soon… Are the books Sasuke's, or were they hers?

But remembering her failure to channel, control and hold chakra on that point of her body had brought a smile to her face. Apart from wanting to learn what she cannot remember of her life as a medical ninja, she wants to learn more skills. How does one suppress her chakra? How does one walk on water, or walk on steep surfaces without feeling the collision of earth underneath them? She had seen Academy students studying these things on her way to the hospital once in a while. When asking Sasuke, or whoever is with her at the time, they'd reply it was all about controlling their energies dubbed "chakra."

To learn these things, Sakura should start at the beginning. Her past memories of being a genin bring some sense into her. She can almost channel chakra to the base of her feet, but it isn't enough to keep her steady and unmoved if she were to walk on the walls. If she makes a stop at a library somewhere, then she should look for books on that, too.

"Alright, let's go."

Mebuki suddenly appears beside Sakura, who is still lost in some daze. Taking her daughter's hand causes Sakura's train of thought to disappear and she rolls her eyes at the thought of having her mother take her hand.

I'm a grown woman with the knowledge of a child, Sakura thinks, but continues to collaborate with her mother's tugging and squeezing of her hand.

"Where to, Sakura?"

The woman shrugs. "A book store or a library."

Mebuki raises a brow and let's go of her daughter's hand. Has she been reading? Even if she has, the old woman can't help but smile. It is a great news indeed that though Sakura has lost her memory, the smart woman remembers how to read. And for a while Mebuki keeps quiet, smiling at some past time when Sakura was only beginning to learn how to read. She had picked out a random picture book with ninja tools and fighting moves. The little pink-haired, large eyed girl tried practicing them in her own time.

_"What move is that?"_ her father would ask, bemused by his little girl's interest in ninja arts.

And Sakura would shrug. _"It says there that it's the sub-sti-tution jutsu…"_

_"Ah, you can read all that?"_ The old man beamed when Sakura nodded, smiling proudly.

Mebuki smiles, looking at her grown daughter and feels tears beginning to over take her eyes. When Sakura looks at her, she frowns, puzzled, by the woman's sudden change of emotion. Oh, yes, she remembers something about bipolar disorders, and even mood swings in women who are either experiencing menstrual flow, or menopause. But the older woman has probably not been going through that; it was an instinct Sakura just seemed to have. It was as if she automatically knew by a single glance towards someone. Perhaps this instinct is due to the career her past self seems have undertaken.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asks suddenly, watching as an upset Mebuki wipes her tears away with the back of her hand.

"I'm fine," she says, sniffing. "I'm just remembering something."

"What was it?" Sakura's emerald eyes widen. She beams under Mebuki's gaze and the elder woman laughs, trying to shake away the sudden emotions.

"I'm just… very proud of you."

Sakura's brows wrinkle, but she doesn't look displeased. In fact, she is confused.

"Proud of what?"

Mebuki smiles, placing a single hand on the woman's shoulder and the both of them stop walking.

"You accomplished so much when you were a teenager. You got married with the man of your dreams. You're talented, though you cannot remember much. And, you're making me a grandmother soon."

Without another word the women continue their walk through the streets, passing Ichiraku and greeting several shopkeepers along the way. The library is just around the corner. And Mebuki departs with Sakura, promising her that she will meet up with her later once she's done with her food shopping.

Sakura makes way through the busy streets and wanders into the library where she is greeted with fairness and respect by the young as well as the old. Emerald eyes scan the scenery of vast space, large bookshelves that almost escape the ceiling, only to realize that there are more books to be read upstairs. Beaming with delight, Sakura rushes through, stepping here and there, running her fingertips just over the spines of the books.

_"Basic Ninja Skills… You and Your Kunai…"_

Sakura scoffs at the second title. What more does one person need to know about their kunai, and, well, the weirder? But she doesn't think anymore on it. She grabs both books and continues her way through the isle.

_"Meeting the Front Lines: The Fourth Shinobi World War."_

Sakura's eyes widen at this title. Without hesitation, she pulls the book from the shelf and settles the books down on the table beside. Pulling out the chair, she turns to the book over, needing to read the back cover and muses at the names headlined:

_Kakashi Hatake._

_Naruto Uzumaki._

_Sakura Haruno._

_Sasuke Uchiha._

"Why am I here?" she murmurs quietly, her index finger dragging over the names as if doing this would give her an idea of the truth. And so, she continues to read on.

_"Truth be told, my students were always prepared for battle, whether it be for simple missions, Or anything in particular that really required heavy-duty work," Kakashi Hatake explains._

"The war was brief; it didn't last as long as we all thought it would. But it was thanks to [them] Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, that we got through the worst."

_The great defeat of reanimated Madara Uchiha, and then the Rabbit Goddess Kaguya (though most claim her appearance was an illusion, rather than reality) had become headlines of the major newspapers, news networks, and even around the globe. People panicked about what was to become of them: Would we have died? Could we survive?—The impact was something to talk about, and no one was safe from harm's way._

Sakura turns the book over and her eyes skim over the name _Moegi._

#

"Try to keep in mind that she was only doing her duty, Sasuke."

Kakashi intertwines his fingers as he leans over his desk. Sasuke's irritation with Sakura's sudden memory loss has always been taken out on the older male. Certainly, Kakashi had no idea that Sakura would have been ambushed in an attack by an enemy they know nothing of. The people have probably come from villages they abandoned due to a newfound disease that had not been problematic until only a few years ago.

"If you're concerned about the hospital bill, I'll double Sakura's—"

Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm not worried about the money." Suddenly his brows dip and his lips imprint a hard line.

Hatake takes notice of the man's sudden change of expression. Something is troubling him deeply.

"You're worried about Sakura remembering what you've done," Kakashi murmurs. It's a statement, not a question and Sasuke settles down on the chair before his Hokage.

With a sigh, he nods, running his fingers through his dark hair. "She'll hate me," he murmurs.

Kakashi shakes his head and furrows his brows. "Sakura has a big heart, Sasuke. How many times has she refused to spend time with you since she got out of the hospital. She obviously feels some connection between the both of you."

"Or perhaps she's just sticking around because she's pregnant…"

Kakashi sighs, placing his hands on the surface of the table. "Do you really think so low of Sakura, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes dart his senior in a questioning look.

"She's strong. If she did decide to leave you, she'd take care of that kid with one arm wrapped around it, while she works with the other. Never underestimate her."

"I don't," Sasuke mutters, eyes darker than the shade they really are. "I'm just worried."

"Worrying will get you no where, Sasuke. It never does."

Kakashi scratches his cheek over his dark mask and sighs. "If you're so worried about Sakura hating you when she, or at least, if she remembers what you've done in the past, then I suggest you tell her yourself so it won't surprise her."

Sasuke shifts in the chair. "How are you so sure that will work?"

"I'm not sure it will," Kakashi mutters, "but I bet she's already questioning who you are to your friends, to your superiors, and to her."

#

-And they had asked themselves if defeat was upon them. People suffered great damage: loss of limbs, loss of blood, and loss of friends in the battlefield. During those times, the Shinobi World's most strongest medical ninja were dispatched to continue to provide necessary aid. While they tried their hardest to save those who were hurting, many have died: in the emergency tents, out in battle, and on their way over to receive help.

Sakura turns to the next page and notices a picture of herself, hands covered in someone's blood. She looks exhausted: eyes swollen with the need to sleep, hair somewhat in a jumbled mess tied back.

"This is so weird," she whispers quietly to herself.

"Sakura-sensei," she hears someone mutter and the pink-haired woman snaps her head up to see a dark-haired girl with wide eyes and a smile.

"Ah," she mutters, "do I—"

She nods. "That's right, you don't remember me." Immediately she takes a seat in front of her and gestures out her hand. "I'm Aiko!"

"Aiko," Sakura repeats and the girl before her nods, eyes bright.

"You're my master," she whispers, remembering that they are indeed in a library, "well, you're my teacher."

"Teacher?" Sakura wrinkles her nose. "Of what exactly…"

"Medical ninjutsu," Aiko replies. Her eyes look down to take notice of the books in front of her.

Basic Ninja Skills. You and Your Kunai. Meeting the Front Lines.

Aiko takes the Basics book in her hand and studies the red leather-bound book.

"Why are you reading this, sensei?"

The woman's cheeks redden. Even though the young girl could probably understand that she no longer has the knowledge she needs to continue being a ninja, Sakura feels embarrassed at the thought of being an adult, and reading books the Academy probably assigns their pupils.

"Just… Trying to see if I can remember how to do anything."

Aiko's brows wrinkle. "Is it dangerous for you to be trying to do these things? I mean-you're pregnant, sensei."

How does she know? Sakura wonders. She doesn't recall ever meeting Aiko, nor does she remember having Sasuke tell her anything about being a teacher. This is all too strange, much stranger than the foreign concepts of ninja tools, ninjutsu, medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, and all of the other things she had read at home and here.

Aiko ignores the woman's silence and takes notice of the Meeting at the Front Lines book.

"I don't think you should be reading that, either," Aiko murmurs and her eyes widen with worry. "Ino-sensei wouldn't like that."

Sakura looks at her. "How would you know?"

Aiko scratches her chin in thought. "Because there are things in that book that you've personally experienced. Reading it can be either good, or bad. I don't think it'd be best for you to remember something crazy from the war."

"Then—then, how would I get better?"

"Geez, Sakura-sensei, you're as childish as ever." Aiko giggles under her hand. "Your husband will help you… And so will the other people that care about you."

#

_Ino is met with the sudden feel of embarrassment. Sakura had been looking at herself in the mirror and contemplated about her breast size—yet again. At this memory, all Ino could do is roll her eyes and continue to drift forward into other memories. It was Tsunade Senju's beaming face that brought a smile to Ino's face._

_The blonde, busty woman had come to praise Sakura for her talent in healing the fish just underneath her palm. It had been hurt by the bigger koi and suddenly stopped moving. At Sakura's wielding chakra, it miraculously healed and seemed to come back from the dead. It was something most would call a miracle. Sakura had learned so much in just a short while._

_The scene quickly transitions to a later time when she stayed in her bedroom in the middle of the night and sadly overlooked the photograph Team Seven had taken. Her main focus was over Sasuke Uchiha, who had left only a year ago._

* * *

><p><strong>*Note. <strong>_I've had a lot going on in my head, but I promise you that things will begin to progress. Others have asked me about more 'smut,' and while i would gladly love to add some more, I'm contemplating how and when... _

_If you didn't catch it, the last bit was a memory of Sakura's._

_Yes, I wanted to add Moegi. lol I don't know why, I just really loved her in the anime. The "books" Sakura was reading were made up titles (but of course, you already knew that...)_

_Anyway, thank you for your patience! I'm hoping to update twice in the coming week, so keep your fingers crossed lol. _

_- FoF_

_[Last Updated: March 03-07-15]_


	12. The Strain

Things are going to go underway pretty quickly here!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

_The Strain_

The moment Sakura had asked Sasuke about his leaving for elsewhere those many years ago, was the moment he had asked her not to question him anymore. He cannot answer things for her when he knows, or feels that Sakura will leave him. His wife is a new woman; she no longer remembers things that had happened, and it will be so much easier if she did not befall such terrible luck. Certainly, Sakura is an intelligent woman, and any intelligent woman who would come to know his past (and the pain he had put her through) would reject him immediately.

He's lying outside on the rooftop of their home, watching the many stars twinkle above him. His wife had decided to no longer sleep in the bed they shared. Sasuke isn't quite sure what it is she's thinking (he vowed to himself not to enter her mind anymore using the Sharingan for Ino had noticed the disruption, and it'll be grave for him to do so when he's under Kakashi's supervision. The man will know… He always will.) but he is sure that she is contemplating about their marriage, her reasons to stay with him, and perhaps everything else she had come to feel for him. Not so long ago she had told him that she was starting to fall in love with him all over again, but now—what about now? Ino had helped her see things, remember things his once normal wife would have loved to forget.

With his head resting under his arms, Sasuke traces the edges of the silver moon with the dark eyes that match even the deepest outer space above them. It's a cold night tonight that even the warmth of his breath is visible with every puff of air he takes. Everyone in the village is silent, and the only explanation is that everyone is resting, and that the ninja who have been given duties over night are doing an excellent job at masking their chakra…

Sakura's chakra is faintly seeping towards him and only now does the man feel a pang of warmth overcome him. Even now, after all that has happened does Sasuke feel some arousal—a yearning to feel his wife above and underneath him. There is no way he can ask her to do anything like that now. She is clueless about their relationship, and also she must be feeling some glimmer of worry about him being so near her. After all Ino had told him, after all the blonde has seen, he is sure that Sakura had come to realize what a jerk he has been, and what a jerk he has been to her specifically.

The human mind is such a complicated thing… Can she really feel what she felt whenever an old memory comes to play? If she can… Would she feel anguish?

Closing his eyes, Sasuke recalls so many things he had done to her: rejection, leaving for his personal gain, almost killing her more than once… Those times replay in his mind over and over and soon frustration overcomes him and he rises to his feet. Perhaps if he tells her before she sees the memories, then maybe she will understand that he was mentally unstable. To be dictated with guilt and hate all at once for having to kill his own brother in false claims that he was the bad guy. No, there is no way Itachi Uchiha was the bad guy… It was Sasuke. It was always Sasuke. He can't use his brother as an excuse anymore.

Her faint chakra is still channeling through the air, but the slight arousal he had come to feel is slowly passing. Tilting his head back and breathing in deeply, Sasuke pushes off from the roof and elegantly lands on his two feet just on the ground.

Even the simplest move like that makes the man smirk with satisfaction. And when he hears the unnatural rustling of the leaves at a nearby bush, Sasuke turns cautiously, hearing closely and watching every direction with care…

"Uchiha," he hears someone mutter from the darkness.

Sasuke scowls. There is no need to activate his Sharingan at the sight of an ANBU standing, blending into the darkest surroundings. His mask almost looks like a bear if looked closely, but Sasuke has no intention, or interest in observing the stripes of the well-sculpted mask.

"What is it this time, hm?"

Sasuke's voice radiates through the air in a menacing way that even the masked man bucks his head back in scare… Though the Uchiha male has not hurt anyone in many years since his return, people still fear him—or more so, fear who he was and his true capabilities.

"The Lord Hokage requests an audience with you," the masked man mutters.

Sasuke scowls. What a strange time to be summoned…

"For what reason?"

"I can't question our superior, and you should know better not to either."

If it was possible to darken black eyes, then the ANBU had come to witness such a thing. The hairs on his arms stand and goosebumps override the skin in tiny mounds.

"I guess I have no choice," the dark-haired male murmurs.

When the ANBU disappears, Sasuke sighs in what is both frustration and tiredness. His eyes find the open window of his wife's occupying bedroom and presses his thin lips in dismay. Certainly if he leaves without rousing her, she won't notice. It isn't like she can notice anyway… There is no possibility of the pink-haired woman to detect his chakra anyway… Not now, at least.

With swift motion, Sasuke moves along the shadows, passing the trees, farther and farther away from the place he can always call _home._

#

The sight of his blond friend takes Sasuke by surprise. Others of his generation are here, too… Shikamaru Nara, Kiba Inuzuka, the arrange, quiet male who's name he always forgets (Shino Aburame) and Sai. They are all scattered across the large conference room. Kakashi Hatake isn't in here yet… He had summoned him here… Where could the Hokage be?

The conference room is enormous, decorated with portraits of the past Hokage: Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze, Tsunade Senju, and now Kakashi Hatake. The round table is rather exaggerated by size, though Sasuke knows this room is often used for Kage Summits, and other important factors.

The daring, almost menacing glance Kiba gives him brings back the memory of Sasuke's threatening punch against him some time ago… It is still surprising how well the dog handler took the situation. He did not lunge back against him, but he had to live with the swollen bruise on his cheek for about a week after the encounter.

Naruto looks over his shoulder to catch the male's hardened eyes against Kiba. Only Akamaru, the snow-white dog that has aged greatly over the years takes a menacing stand against Sasuke. The others are caught by surprise.

"Stand down, Akamaru," Kiba murmurs, arms crossed as he dares not to look to the direction of the Uchiha.

"Thanks," mutters Sasuke in return, watching as the canine settles back onto the floor with a low whine.

"That wasn't for you," Kiba snaps. "You've always been on my radar, Uchiha… I promised our future Hokage not to pick fights with you."

Dark eyes meet the blue ones that belong to his close friend. So they already know of Naruto's rising of power. Oh, how he remembers when they fought for that position after they had defeated Kaguya… And here he is, Naruto Uzumaki fulfilling his most sought after dream.

"He's here," Shikamaru murmurs and all males heed their direction to their superior.

Kakashi isn't wearing the traditional robes of The Hokage… He's standing before them in the same jōnin vest and pants he feels most comfortable wearing. His silver hair still drags along to the right in that way that defies gravity. Everyone bows in respect, even Sasuke, which catches their senior in surprise. ANBU Black Ops are surrounding the area, and only now can they all detect the faint traces of chakra coming from even the courtyard of the building and beyond.

What's happening?

"I'm sure all of you are wondering why I've summoned you this late at night."

Everyone nods in agreement.

"Take your seats, though this meeting won't take so long."

Even so, Sasuke finds a seat beside Naruto and Sai who quietly and patiently wait to take new instruction by their superior. Naruto's senses catch the faint trace of Yamato's chakra… He's one of the ANBU in here, and his eyes carefully scan the walls where they linger behind the shadows. He has not seen that man in a long time…

If Yamato is here, too, then there is something troubling Hatake.

"You're sending us to a mission," Naruto murmurs. He seems disgusted by the thought which is unusual of him. Everyone knows Naruto Uzumaki lives for adventure.

Kakashi nods, hands clasped out in front of him as they rest on the surface of the table.

"The bandits that hurt Sakura are slowly approaching the village… We are unsure of why it could have been, but my associates are telling me that they know of Sakura's condition."

Sasuke's lips part only slightly at the news.

"If they hurt so many medical ninja from other villages who went to aid their sick, then it is most probable that they are trying to weaken us by using such a weak strategy."

"For a weak strategy, it seems to be working," Shikamaru mutters coldly. "Temari told me that there were bombings in Sunagakure. The terrorists were apprehended, but they committed suicide in their cells… They had these poisonous pills with them, you see, that were acquired by the medical ninja from Kirigakure."

"So you think they're trying to weaken us by taking out our best medical teams?" Sai interferes.

"Then Sakura—"

Sasuke is quickly caught off by Kakashi who adds, "—was the first one they were aiming at. By setting off a code red of an emergency, they knew we were going to send our best healer and the strongest one in the world."

It is a dark story to behold, and even so, it is less than a story… It is a fact. Only now can Sasuke feel the bud of anger growing within him, sprouting into fury he must contain against his senior. Surely there was no way Kakashi Hatake knew about the danger… No, he should have! What happened to those who investigated the encrypted messages? Surely someone from that specific group here must have felt that the urgent letter was false, right?

"How many?"

Kiba's voice interrupts Sasuke's flooding thoughts.

"For bandits? We are unsure, but if they had a bombing squad that was opposing Gaara, then I'm almost certain they will do something similar to the other villages. These people aren't strong, but among them they have intelligent beings. I am afraid that they'll begin to use children… We know that they did have sick children, but those sick may have been kids that got hurt for their disgusting missions."

"We have Shikamaru," Naruto mutters. "If they're people are so great with strategies, then we won't have a problem."

"Perhaps, but I don't know a single thing about weapons and their mechanisms. These people can only dubbed as dangerous because of the equipment they use. I don't think we've ever seen anything like it… The bombs they used detonate in specific times and are very powerful. We can have a ton of casualties."

"Tenten then," Naruto snaps. "We have her and Shikamaru!"

"And what will we be able to do, Naruto?" Shikamaru questions and takes a stand from the chair. "It's possible they already infiltrated the village… We could be under attack at this very moment."

_That's why it was too quiet tonight, _Sasuke thinks.

"We need to evacuate the people if its becoming this alarming," Sai says. "And we need to put people on the ground to investigate whatever we can. If they are already silently attacking us, then the most obvious choice is sending a small group of people into the village and setting up these bombs at random places where we are most vulnerable." Sai feels cold sweat drip from his temple and he lowers his head a little.

"The hospital," he murmurs suddenly, feeling a pang of realization. "They're still searching for Sakura."

Sasuke suddenly stands from his chair, knocking it down to the floor with a loud thud.

"Where are you going, Sasuke?" Naruto begins to say.

"I need to be with my wife," the raven-haired man replies coldly. "I need to—I have to be there."

Kakashi takes a deep breath. "Go get her. I'm initiating a State of Emergency. Sound the alarms… When we know people are safe and far, then we will divide ninja in cells of four. We need to search to see if we've already been hit."

#

"What is it now?" Tenten murmurs, finding the sight of Rock Lee and Kiba. She had been awaken by the sound of loud marching outside her window, and now she had been forced to meet with her old comrades. They have been waiting patiently, or more so, rather impatiently for her outside the hospital building.

"Kakashi is ordering you and Shikamaru—" Kiba's words are lost for when he caught glimpse of the sudden black and reddish haze of thick smoke seeping before them. And before he can say anything else, the hospital building collapses. Only faint shouts and screams could be heard from within, and then suddenly—nothing.

"What is this?" Rock Lee grumbles, covering his eyes from the blowing debris.

"I can't feel anyone anymore," Tenten whispers and furrows her brows. "Hurry!" she cries out as she begins to set forth to the collapsed building. _"Hurry! They can all be dead!"_

#

That sound he heard just now—what was it?

Sasuke is pulling a dazed Sakura from the bed and his only worry is to keep her from harm. There are no safe places in Konoha, well, at least in this moment and he knows that deeply. Seeing her in panic only makes the feeling of hurting much more painful. It comes from the deepest part of him, and suddenly all of that physical pain his mind presses onto the body during his nightly terrors suddenly overcome him in a wave of shock. He winces and attracts Sakura's widened green eyes.

"Sasuke—" Her words leave her when Sasuke fumbles to the ground. He is short of breath, his body is becoming numb…

A panic attack—this is what Sakura truly remembers from studying all of those medical books. Only she questions the sudden shock that is keeping him, her said-husband in this uncontrollable state. His pupils are narrowed, his body is shaking in some ache… What is happening?

"Follow them," Sasuke suddenly murmurs and Sakura kneels beside him. If he doesn't recuperate now, it'd be Sakura with a panic attack. What can she do? What can she possibly do?

"Who?" She suddenly whispers.

"The people outside waiting for you—" he winces, and cries out in a hurtful "_aargh!"_

"You're hurt somewhere, Sasuke I'm—"

_"Get out of the fucking house now!"_

Her eyes widen and her lips part slightly. _Afraid. _She had wanted to tell him that she was afraid—for this sudden rushing movement through the house, and scrambling to get necessary things (clothes, maybe food and water), and also frightened for him. But now her heart beats wildly as a rush of cold adrenaline seeps through her veins. She is no longer afraid of the sudden hysteria from within here and out there… No. She is afraid of the strange red eye that glares at her, and that purple one with the strange ripples. She gulps hard. She can only recall these as the famous dōjutsu: The Sharingan and Rinnegan.

_"Please," _he mutters in desperation that makes her brows dip and release with hurt.

"I'm leaving now," she murmurs silently and slowly springs upward to collect the pink sweatshirt and bag full of necessities from the couch.

He watches her leave, dumbfounded and he realizes only now that his eyes have changed before her.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. _That is all he can think of now. And the feeling of it all are mixtures of embarrassment, guilt and sorrow. He hurt his wife again after vowing years ago when they had finally married that he'd never do such a thing.

His fist goes down onto the wooden floor, slightly cracking a panel beneath his unraveling arm. He has to go to her. Sasuke must keep her safe… But as he process these thoughts within himself (the eyes, the look on her face, and the shock of pain), he remains immobile. This is the same from before, back when he had only caught a first glimpse of Orochimaru and what he was capable of doing. So even know without the Sanin whom he surpassed long ago glaring down at him with menacing, bewitching eyes can he be so vulnerable from memories of long ago?

_"I have to do what I did before," _he grumbles under his harsh breath and his hand reaches down to the small pack strapped to his thigh. This time, surely, more pain will make him move to her like before… Like when they had their Chunin Exams.

And immediately the cold iron of the black kunai breaks into the fabric of his pants, down further into the skin, muscle and suddenly he feels the pointy tip at the bone.

Screaming in torturous pain of his own committed wrath, he shifts to his side, collapsing against the floor and cries in the physical pain, and the other one his mind had conjured up from the past. This is it… He cannot help her. He cannot save her.

Apart from all of those grieving thoughts within him—who will save him from the spiraling darkness he is succumbing to now? Surely, if there is a God, he is playing dirty tricks against him—hurting his family, allowing him to hurt his brother and be hurt, and now his wife whom he hurt a hundred times over.

She is a lit candle that guided him through the darkest tunnels… Where is that flame going to now? Away from him?

_That might be for the best, _he thinks.

#

The jōnin she had come to meet from outside the house are leading her away from the crowds and something within her mind clicks: these men are not from here. Whether it was from instinct, or she had finally remembered the feel of one's chakra, her body shivers at the light touch of one male's hand at the small of her back and pushes away immediately.

Her hand is holding onto a kunai she had taken from Sasuke when he was asleep two days ago. Perhaps she should have heeded Aiko's warning of practicing anything while she is pregnant, but this was a necessary cause, for she is standing in what could be harm's way.

The males look down at her with disbelief as she holds the sharp weapon against them. Eyes wide, she feels a recognition in their faces, though she absolutely is sure she has never seen them… No, perhaps she has… It was before her accident. Maybe she has seen the man with the beard before her fall, or maybe she has seen the short, husky one. Either way, her mind is firing alarms to her system. She needs to run, or she needs to fight. Because when a sudden chill runs down her spine, a strange sensation overrides her senses.

_Chakra. This is chakra, _she thinks. And if so, she is completely surrounded—nowhere to run, or hide.

She must fight.

#

"Anything?"

There is urgency in Lee's voice, but Kiba's confirmation of stillness settles gravely upon him and the brunette woman who is trying to keep calm.

"Akamaru cannot sense corpses either… I can't smell them."

They are rummaging through the rubble and with the dog handler's thoughtfully chosen words, relief overcomes the anguish they had felt only five minutes ago. Sakura wasn't here, and the other valuable doctors, nurses and patients must have fled to safety behind the monument when they heard the warnings.

But before they can celebrate the lives of those who have fled, Akamaru, the snow-white dog uncovers something from the prickly rubble that immediately takes the weapons master's attention. Their eyes light up at the sight of a round object, red all around. It looks like a marble, but it is much more than that.

"This was probably the bomb," Tenten murmurs. "It was silent. We didn't hear a loud _bang _like the paper bombs, or grenades emit… This is a silent killer."

"So you're telling me there could be more than this one planted everywhere?"

The brunette nods, and wrinkles her nose in disgust. "This one has not detonated yet."

"How can you be so sure?" Lee murmurs, astonished by the true potential of his female comrade. But of course, he'd be so stupid to underestimate her abilities.

She slowly takes it onto her palm and rolls it. The small, round thing is made from some glass, and she can see a liquid inside.

"It would have cracked under so much pressure."

"Is it chakra activated?" Kiba asks, clenching his fists.

"Perhaps, but I don't want to test it… Not until we get a clear picture of what is inside of this thing."

Kiba and Lee nod. "Then we should have it taken to the lab."

With haste, Tenten catches the high-pitched ringing in her ears, and the second to immediately take notice is Akamaru, who pushes his head against the ground in irritation.

"You hear that?" Tenten whispers.

"Hey, Akamaru, what's wrong?" Kiba's attention rests on the dog, and suddenly, he, too, collapses onto his knees and holds his hands against his ears. _"Turn it off! Turn that shit off!" _

Lee's ears ring, and when Tenten realizes that sound has been coming from the small marble, she quickly lunches it into the air and in a split second it combusts. The ringing ends, and a whirlwind of fire and smoke appear, and suddenly disappear in a cloud.

Small traces of blood trickle down the brunette's cheeks from her ears. Before she can hear Kiba and Lee's pleads to have her taken to medical ninja's, she catches the silhouette of five men hiding on the branches of the highest trees.

* * *

><p><strong>*Note.<strong>

_I was planning on updating earlier this week, too so you could have two chapters, but I was caught up on several things..._

It was a bummer leaving you all hanging like this-What will happen to Sakura? Sasuke? The others? Only way of answering these questions is by waiting for the next update lol.

Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter, and all previous chapters! You guys are awesome :)

- FoF

[Last Updated: Saturday 03-14-15]


	13. Cold

**Chapter 13**

_Cold_

"They're gone," Tenten whispers.

Her hand leaves the summoning scroll in her hand and she looks over to see Lee and Kiba. Both males, including the one dog watch silently. The cool breeze rushes through the leaves and there is no scent, no trace of other people with them. The calm in the air seems all too mysterious to be left alone. Perhaps all three ninja were imagining things; a side effect from the bomb?

Tenten runs her palm across her cheek, feeling the wet sensation of both sweat, and the blood that has cascaded down from her ears. Truly, those bombs are meant to be looked upon with awe. To detonate in such a way, sending powerful waves of sound that can cause so much damage even before it explodes… The screams and shouts of people within the hospitals must have been another trap, too. No one was buried under the rubble, and Kiba's amazing smell, along with the real nose of a dog assured it. Another trap from the first bomb, perhaps? But who could craft such a thing?

"Do you think they realized Sakura is no where to be found?" Kiba mutters, reeling Tenten from her train of thought.

Lee shakes his head. "Unless they already have her."

The theory sinks in on them with a pang of guilt. They should have stopped those guys while they had a chance. With a sigh, they decide to move their positions to the center of the village. Perhaps Sakura is safe.

"We should get that wound treated," Kiba murmurs, eyeing Tenten's right ear from where he stands.

The brunette shakes her head, furrowing her brows and clenching her fist. "There's no time," she mutters coldly. "Either we search for those bastards, or go straight to the Hokage with our information."

"Information won't do any of us good if we don't have a visual aid, or proof of the bomb's existence. We don't even know how those things work," mutters Lee.

"And what do you think we should do, Lee?" Tenten mutters, furrowing her brows in annoyance.

"We should search for those guys," Kiba grumbles, growls even, and his companion dog barks in agreement.

The brunette groans. All she wants to do is get a good night's rest and she can't do that now…

"Alright," she mumbles wearily. "We should head North. That's where they're taking the civilians."

#

They're closing in on her slowly. A wave of heat overrides Sakura's senses. If she fights, how will she fight? What will be the outcome? What do they want with her?

With the gentle breeze hitting her face, she squints hard, trying to process the men who are surrounding her. There are three behind her, and five more in front of her now. If she knows a bit about chakra, then she understands how greatly theirs differs with Sasuke. They are weak, or so that's what they seem because the energies they radiate are so small. Sasuke is a raging fire compared to these dimming light fixtures.

"Come with ease, and we won't harm you," a gruff voice says and Sakura's eyes close harshly. She doesn't like the way he sounds.

"Or the baby," the same guy concludes and her eyes widen at the horror as they tease with angry laughter.

How do they know?

"Then she is pregnant," one grumbles and they all agree. Her widening eyes and partially parted lips have given them that exact information.

"This won't be long," someone says. "Grab her, or kill her. Either way she will be dead by morning."

Sakura's brows dip and panic begins to spread all through out her being. She can control bits of her chakra… Maybe she can land a punch on the few who will charge at her first and make a run for it…

When someone grabs hold of her arm, Sakura makes a swift turn and launches her fist against the line of his jaw. Even without the need to use chakra, the force is tremendous and sends him back with pain. Her knuckles are red from the impact, and so are her cheeks—angry, and ready to disarm them if she needs it to be.

"Kill her, then," someone musters and Sakura makes her way through the crowd, screaming her battle cry as she passes their grabby hands.

Passing them is a surprise too big for her to believe entirely. How did she know how to avert their hands? But she has no time to get lost deep in thoughts. She has to move, and she has to do so quickly. And the more time she is running through the streets, the more her mind is focusing on matters that shouldn't be going through her mind. This situation is dangerous… Almost as dangerous as the time she was battling the thirty-something men.

Wait. How does she remember that?

Her eyes widen. Yes, this is them. Those are the men that had caused her to run away the day of her fall.

Well, one thing is for sure: Sakura Uchiha will not fall again!

#

The sounds of kunai clashing against each other, iron against iron, chime in the cold air. Suddenly the sound dies out and only the whistle of the wind can be heard, rustling through the trees of the forest. Mask turns to mask in unspoken conversation. Sai understands this, too. Yamato is lurking about a tree away, sending hand signals to the ANBU a tree away from him. Surely this is Yamato; Sai recognizes the strong, vibrant energy that comes off from him.

"What do we do now, Sai?" someone whispers, and the pale man holds out a hand to the comrade beside him.

"We wait for Captain Yamato's orders," he mumbles.

"We've been waiting too long," the other by his right mumbles. "That man has no answers."

"Nor do I," Sai snaps in a bitter whisper. "None of us do. These people aren't just bandits… Surely some of them are shinobi."

Suddenly there is movement in the bushes beneath the tree. Without a single thought, the shinobi on the left side of Sai lunges a kunai strip aight into the the bush. And when it lands, they hear a low, painful grunt. A man stumbles out from the shadows, and ultimately falls, face first into the dirt. His hand is clutching on something…

"Is he dead?" someone whispers, and Sai raises his hand out to silence him. (Truthfully, rookies are irritating.)

"I'll go," Sai whispers lowly.

With a single kick off the branch of the tree, the man lands gracefully, both feet planted onto the ground and in crouch-like position. His breathing quickens when he realizes the kunai has penetrated his skull. This man has been injured before during their first clash. There are so many wounds all throughout his being that it is hard to distinguish where he has been hit.

"What's this?" the pale man mutters as his hands clumsily unravel the corpse's fist.

His brows furrow when he catches sight of a red sphere-like object. The moon barely seeps into the trees, and when the light has come to hit it, Sai takes the marble in between his thumb and index finger and holds it out into the light.

"Clear," the man calls out, and in an instant the eight others are on the ground with him. No chakra can be detected, so surely they all have disappeared.

The one suspected to be Yamato makes his way to Sai. His voice is so deep, so unlike him behind the mask…

"What's that?"

"It looks like a marble… Perhaps something precious to this man."

They stop speaking to each other when the wind blows harshly against them. Suddenly, everything becomes still. There are no birds; the crows have stopped their cawing, and the Owls no longer enchant the dark forest with their hoots. It's quiet, calm, still… Eerily still.

Sai winces at the feel of burning seeping over his fingers and drops the marble, watching it rotate in midair as it falls just on the back of the stranger. His eyes are wide with fear. What was that?

Before anyone can question what has happened, a small noise (like bubbles in boiling water) begins to make its way through the ears of everyone standing nearby.

"This is the bomb," Sai mutters. _"Everyone get away!"_

All that stillness, and all of that peacefulness still remains miles and miles away. And if one hiking through the mountainside could see beyond the cliffs, they will be met with the sight of bright red clouds, and a haze of smoke.

There is no sound, only peace and quiet. So damn still.

#

"She's not getting away, dammit!"

Sakura is breathing harshly, back against a cold wall, and her being pushed into the narrowest part between two buildings. The streets are empty, and the only sound she hears now is the rush beating of her heart against her chest, her harsh breathing and the shouts of the taunting men who are still searching for her.

What should she do? What can she do?

With a deep breath, the woman continues her way through this very tight, very narrow passageway between buildings she knows nothing of. If she can meet the safety of the other side, then perhaps she'll make her way back to Sasuke, or anyone she recognizes.

So her arms drag against the rough surfaces of the brick walls and cement coverings. Trying to ignore the pain of the scrapes, she manages to wriggle out of the small enclosure and makes her way rapidly across the pavement. There's no one out here, either. She doesn't even recognize this side of the village. What else is there to do?

"Where are you?" She hears them call in teasing manner.

Tears are beginning to seep over her eyes. From the memories she had come to recollect all thanks to Ino, she recalls the same feeling of hopelessness when she was much younger. There is no way she can give up now. She has to try.

Sakura's strong legs push her steadily forward, making her run in a direction she doesn't know. Chakra. She needs to locate anyone familiar.

But when she does, they are not the ones she is interested in joining. Those people, those creepy men are right behind her, throwing kunai and rocks—anything to get her to stop running.

When one rock does make it against the back of her knee, she winces in pain. That thrust was so full of power while they are so far away and she extends her arms out in front of her, hoping it will be enough from allowing her belly to make contact with the concrete.

_"Auugh!"_ She groans.

Her knee grazed the ground. As she moves, trying to recollect herself, there is so much stinging sensations wrapping around her entire being.

_No, _she thinks. _They're going to kill me._

#

Scared eyes slowly open to be met with darkness. It is Sai who takes a deep breath and places his hand over his chest to feel the rapid beating of his heart. Death stared at him in the eye only a few seconds ago… Is he truly dead?

"Is everyone alright?"

Yamato's voice radiates from the darkness and pushes into hearing ears. Where are they?

When Sai's right hand finds the flat surface of what stands behind him, he realizes Yamato has secluded everyone in a wooden cocoon.

Almost immediately the walls come down and the fresh breeze sifts just over their faces. There is no sign of any death being claimed. Everyone is safe. Though many trees surrounding them had tasted the bomb's wrath.

"We should report this," Yamato's voice mutters. Everyone else turns to face him. His mask is completely cracked in half. There is no point in wearing something damaged, so the man rips it off from his face and drops it into the ground.

"Let's get back to the village," the leader murmurs. "Let's hope those bastards didn't find who they were looking for."

#

Her eyes open, looking up to meet the dark gaze of Sasuke. He's holding her in his arms, face against his chest so that she can hear the very unsteady beating of his heart.

"Sasuke," she breathes his name, and even hearing her whisper makes the clouds disappear from his mind. He's here. She's safe.

"I'm sorry," the man mumbles. "I should have—"

Sakura shakes her head. "It's alright," she whispers, emerald eyes still looking deep into his own. "I'm okay."

His warm hand slides slowly over hers and meets the scrapes that have engraved harshly into her once-soft skin. His eyes trail downward, gaze falling ultimately on her scraped knees, flesh almost too exposed. The wound is too similar to the burn she got so long ago during their battle with Kaguya. It was the moment he had caught her after she and Obito Uchiha went for him. The acid burn must have hurt her then, and this disgusting scrape is hurting her now. And even in this state of hers, pregnant and unsure of the past, she is trying her hardest to convince him that she's not in pain. But he knows… His eyes see this.

"They'll treat your wounds soon," he murmurs and plants a soft kiss on her forehead, one that sends tingles down her spine and warmth through out her being.

Her eyes trace the line of his jaw and wonders about his sudden appearance. Was she saved by him? Her brows knot in distaste. She remembers not liking being saved by him, or by Naruto Uzumaki and here she is once more in his arms.

"Did you find me?" she mutters lowly.

Sasuke nods, fingers running through her hair in such a way that makes her feel safe.

"It took a hell of a lot to get you," he murmurs, "but I found you, and you're here safe with me." He furrows his brows. "I'm sorry."

Sakura's eyes widen. "For what?"

Sasuke sighs, closing his dark eyes briefly. "For yelling at you to get out when I knew you were trying to help. I'm always pushing you away… You're always trying to help, and I'm always the one that hurts you—just like back then."

"What are you saying? What do you mean just like back then?"

Sasuke's eyes widen, thin lips parted slightly. He cannot believe he had just said that. Why did he say that? And now Sakura wants to know. This isn't the time for an explanation.

"Uchiha," someone calls. "Come on."

Sakura's eyes leave her husband briefly, feeling gravity try to pull her away from him. She's suspended in his strong arms, moving along through an open isle. There are people around here—where is she?—but no one seems to take notice. Wincing, the all-too familiar stinging on her arms catches her by surprise. Sasuke's hand is grasping her right arm, fingers clinging too tightly just over her scrapes.

He looks down at her solemnly. "Sorry," he mumbles. He's always apologizing.

The treatment doesn't last long, though for Sakura it seemed to last for an eternity. Cotton balls lightly submerged in alcohol were dabbed lightly over the wounds on her knees. And though the pain pierced from her knees and seemed to spread across her entire body, she watched with amusement as the nurse channeled chakra onto her palm and hovers it lightly over the wounds. Almost immediate pain relief subdued what stung her.

"Amazing," Sakura says in awe.

"Your turn, Sasuke," the woman mutters and turns to face Sasuke who has his his hands on his thigh.

Sakura looks to see the blood stain (a rather large blood stain) that has spread over his dark pants. She dips her brows. Did that happen when he rescued her?

"Why did it happen?" Sakura asks softly while the medical ninja performs her treatment.

"One way to get to you," he mumbles. Through pain.

The woman leaves the, alone in the room it was beginning to get awkward and too intimate in there, she thinks.

Sakura looks down at her skimmed knees. They are still red, throbbing with a slight discomfort, but even so, the wounds have entirely closed and she will be able to heal all naturally now, without the help of any medications, or chakra.

"Did they do that to you?"

Sasuke shakes his head, dark hair swaying with the motion of his head. "No, they didn't."

"I don't understand," she whispers, her eyes meeting his.

"Love comes with pain, Sakura," he mumbles lowly. "Even someone who had lost her memory should know this."

"But it shouldn't be physical," she murmurs, looking at the bloodstain on his thigh. "What happened?"

"I did it to myself."

Tears are beginning to pool in her eyes. She doesn't understand—who could possibly understand?

"Why?" Her voice is firmer now. She needs an answer, and so, she presses on. "Why?"

"I was paralyzed with fear," he mumbles. "Memories are… Unkind."

She gulps. Is he saying that because of what he felt before, or is this a warning for her?

"You must remember, Sakura… I stabbed my leg once when we were Genin so I could save you from Orochimaru."

She nods, recalling that vague memory of serpentine eyes that had stunned her, too. Then suddenly she was kneeling in front of Sasuke who had blood streaming from his leg.

"Then why did you do it tonight?"

"Fear of losing you like I lost—" He hushes himself before continuing.

"You need to tell me before I find out myself, Sasuke."

He furrows his brows. His expression is impassive, something the pink-haired woman doesn't like about him. She can never read his expression, but what really sets him apart are his dark eyes that show too much pain, too much longing. And she begins to see the fear that is darkening his already black eyes.

"Do you know how many times I made you cry, Sakura?" His voice is cold… Too harsh.

She's trying to process those memories, and all she can think of are the times she had worried for him: when they were Genin and she thought he had been killed by Haku (a young shinobi she barely remembers), and then over and over…

"Too many to count, huh?"

His grin is grim. Sakura feels goosebumps seep over her.

"The reason I left Konoha was to kill my brother. And you know what happened after that? I tried so many times to mercilessly kill people I didn't want to hurt. You and Naruto were on that list." He pauses, realizing Sakura's discomfort. "I had my hand around your throat, once. I'm surprised you didn't hate me then." A snort escapes from him. "Then again, you did try to kill me, but the disturbing thing is, you couldn't even if you tried—and I could without trying."

His jaw clenches as her unsteady breathing comes unwelcoming into his ears.

"Do you hate me now?"

"Fear," she murmurs.

Sasuke dips his brows. "So you decide to fear me now? Why?"

There are tears streaming down her cheeks when he looks up to see her.

"Because I can see it, Sasuke!" Her voice is harsh, and she takes a stand against him despite the stinging sensation growing in her knees. "I see everything! And I still don't understand! I married you for a damn reason and I don't understand anything anymore; I just see you, your pain and mine intertwined in this strange thing you call a marriage!"

Heavy sobs are what she is trying to contain. Her hand is plastered against her lips as she dips her knees onto the cold floor. Sasuke reaches out, but she quickly slaps him away.

_"Don't touch me!"_

His eyes are wide. Sasuke brings his hand back and rests it onto his lap. He cannot touch his wife, and she's hurting. He can hear her erratic breathing.

"Sakura, please…" His voice is an urge. A plead, but she doesn't look up to face him.

So he dips down to her, too, ignoring the pain that ignites his thigh and his hands cup her face so that she can see him.

Suddenly his lips are on her, pressing long and hard, but she doesn't reciprocate the kiss just as he was hoping she would. Instead, Sakura pulls away and anxiety pools deep within Sasuke's chest.

"Oh, please," he mumbles, "don't you remember your love for me?" He kisses her cheek. "Or the way I'd kiss you at night, and in the mornings?" His lips trail down to her neck. "Or the way your familiar touch helped me sleep at night?" His arms wrap around her. "Or how my touch made you blush and laugh? Don't you remember how happy we were since we married?"

Parting from her soft skin, his eyes find hers and she looks deep within those eyes she can compare to onyx, the midnight sky, or something darker. There is so much pain, so much longing. But she bites the inside of her cheeks because there is nothing she can remember about her love for this man. There is nothing more than fear and pain.

So she shakes her head and his drops in defeat.

"I'm sorry, but all I see is red when I'm with you, Sasuke," she whispers. "I'm confused and afraid."

He pinches the bridge of his nose, withdrawing his strong arms from around her and takes a deep breath, hoping that would be enough to calm the tears that are trying so hard to break free. All his fears are coming true, he thinks. She will leave him—Kakashi was wrong and Sasuke was so damned right.

She sees him this way. This is a defeat she has never seen. He was a boy deprived from love, and here she is killing away that only feeling he had been faced with for some time. And as he kneels here down before her, with her, she remembers his smiles, his kisses, his touch against her skin, over her entire body in that delicate way… But she cannot remember the feeling of love for him. She knows all too well that she saw him once when they were young. And there was something about him that made her heart thump crazily when his eyes met her briefly. It was a spark, something that ignited light deep within her that warmed her through and through.

Sakura can't remember how this had happened, for he was so cold. How can someone like her fall in love and continue to love him for so long?

Taking in a deep breath herself, her hand clasps his right wrist, and pulls it down away from her eyes.

And so she pleads, "Look at me."

The man raises his head to meet her soft gaze. He hasn't been crying, though she can see the glimmer of the reflecting low light of the room just on his eyes. Her heart sinks. This man truly loves her, but how can she feel the same for him when he has hurt her for so long?

_'Love comes with pain,'_ is what he had said. She is hurting him, and he has hurt her.

"I told you once after my incident that I thought I loved you," she whispers. "I told you the night you woke up from your nightmare, and I helped you sleep." She takes a deep breath. "I don't know what I feel after what you have said, and after what I remembered."

She places her hand just under his string jawline and leans in to him, pressing her lips against his briefly. When they part, she presses her forehead against his and closes her eyes.

"I'll try to understand, Sasuke," she whispers. "For you."

The man shakes his head, making her eyes open. "It has to be done for you, not for me," he murmurs. "You've always been too kind, Sakura. Do something for yourself this time. Do you want to try and understand what you feel about me?"

She nods. It's a hasty reply, but even so, she whispers, "I do."

* * *

><p><strong>*Note<strong>.

_Please excuse any grammatical errors. (I used my iPad to type this up. I will edit it in the near future.)_

_Well it took me a while to write this chapter up. For those wondering if I'm ever going to add any more smut into this fic, well, brace yourselves because that's what I'm planning and I'm hoping to do it really soon. I apologize if this chapter was somewhat hasty, or maybe even kind of vague. I've been busy with things, so... yeah. _

_Anyway, I really appreciate everyone's awesome reviews and comments. If it weren't for you, then I think I would have given up on this story a long time ago. :)_

_-FoF_

_[Last Updated: Saturday 03-21-15]_


	14. Seeing Red

Sorry for the late update, guys! A day late is better than not updating at all this week, right?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

_Seeing Red_

She was crouching on the ground when he had found her a few hours ago. Crying and immobile, Sasuke ran through the open courtyard where they had come to surround her. He withheld using his most violent technique, _Amaterasu_ against the bastards who have come to dare to hurt his wife. And when they all turned to see him, plenty ran off while only two were left behind. Without a single hesitation, Sasuke ran their skulls with his katana and ignored the pain in his thigh as he made his way to Sakura. When he took her into his arms, she was unconscious, but alive.

It is nearly dawn and Konoha is behind him now. The cool air pushes against him, but his dark eyes are still looking forward. Naruto follows behind him, and so do the others: Ino, Tenten, Kiba and Rock Lee. They are trying their hardest to keep up with an enraged Uchiha, but their trials are proving futile. Tenten is still pained by her injuries, and the others has to overcome their own obstacles. And the sight of dawn is upon them. The sun is only beginning to creep over the land in fiery hues of red and orange, illuminating the once-dark sky. Looking just over their heads, all of the, catch the sight of the sunrise. If only they could stop for a little while to catch this scene…

The dark cloak that drapes over his shoulders sways with the currents of the wind. Only when Naruto approaches stealthily behind him in swift motion, the cloak slaps him across the face, making him growl in irritation. Ino had caught sight of this and cannot help, but laugh behind her hand.

"Sense anything?" Naruto calls out, but they respond with a shake of the head.

Bodies arched forward and arms pulled back, their legs swiftly move them over the dirt path from within the forest. Their feet repeatedly hit the ground in swift movement, leaving only barely noticeable footprints.

It was Kakashi Hatake, their 7th who had made them embark in such a mission: to find the remaining culprits of the dastardly deed. When Sasuke shook his head in protest he had verbally told his superior that he will not uptake such a mission, and that his only current mission is to protect Sakura. But of course, the old man remained unmoved and had simply uttered the Shinobi Rule that has been said to them before, _'a shinobi is a shinobi before he, or she is a spouse.' _

Sakura… He needs to get back to see Sakura. All that pooling rage that has settled on the base of his chest has come down to this. Those men almost killed her before and that resulted to her fall. She was pregnant at the time, and only by some miracle had she been able to save the child that grows within her. _His _child. Just thinking about a dark-haired boy, or even a girl (and boy, does he want a little girl) makes the seething rage to slowly recede and yield to the memory of his wife's smile, her laughter, and the knowledge that one day the both of them will never truly be alone anymore. The house will be less peaceful. There will be restless nights, or so, that is what Hinata and Naruto told him after their congratulatory responses to the news of Sakura's pregnancy.

With a deep breath, the man looks onward with more determination. He needs to return to Sakura. That is a promise he had always made to her whenever he'd been given missions. It is a promise that he's more than willing to forever keep.

#

Though the memories are vague, she had come to see them all unfold that same night. Her parents were supporters and quite strict with her, though her father had tendencies of being the clown of certain situations that called for peace and seriousness. All those stories that her friends, including Sasuke have told her during her Academy days are much clearer. She remembers, of course, all those times she had chased after the quiet boy with dark hair, hoping he'd notice her, or talk to her. All of this and so much more had come to play in her mind… Even the memories she had felt she'd rather repress than remember—a vice grip to her throat from a tormented man, and the repeated words, _'you're annoying' _have come to make her think… What on earth was it she felt for a cruel man? It's true… He had tried many times to mercilessly kill his comrades, and the one that had affected her more was when he gripped her throat and pushed her back. Though there was something about the way he had looked at her, Sakura felt chills down her spine, and that familiar pain just around her throat.

Hinata paces awkwardly behind her, one hand against her lower back and the other rubbing her belly. The other women with them, Karui and Temari have come to realize her discomfort and sigh as they push themselves off the chair to assist the poor Hinata Hyūga, or now to be considered, Hinata Uzumaki.

"Thanks," she murmurs softly as they settle her onto a chair by the pink-haired woman who is lost in some thought. She groans with irritation and then winces.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Temari mutters. "You look very pained."

Hinata nods. "The baby is just kicking," she mutters. "Same energy as the father, I guess."

Karui scoffs. "Doesn't sound too great to me," she says. "Waking up to hear that child cry all night…"

She's been tying her hair back as Karui continued her musings. With a last tug of her hair, Hinata shakes her head and says in protest, "You wouldn't believe how much Naruto sleeps… My hopes are the baby is the same."

The women laugh silently at the woman's comment, bringing Sakura away from her train of thought to meet the prying eyes of the ladies before her.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?" Hinata murmurs.

She shakes her head. "No," she murmurs, "not really."

"Well," Temari starts, "_not really _gives us the impression that everything is not okay."

"Tell us," Karui presses, crossing her arms and arching a single brow. This woman is very cocky.

"I remember," Sakura starts. "I remember a lot of things now, but I don't know what to do."

"Remember what exactly?" Temari mutters, clasping her hands together and leaning slightly against the table.

"Everything," Sakura murmurs. "Everything I supposedly forgot, but here I am wondering why I've done the things I did…"

"She's having second thoughts about Uchiha," Karui says bitterly. "Not surprising to me."

_"Karui!"_ Temari snaps.

Hinata places a warm hand just over Sakura's and pats it gently. "Would you like some tea?"

Sakura smiles. "Yes, please."

The very pregnant woman rises from her chair and Sakura presses her lips when the sight of her comes to focus. This will be her one day, that is if the child isn't big. With a sigh, Sakura rises from her seat, too and helps Hinata stand. This is her home, after all, and the hostess is the one who must serve the guests, but Sakura has never been this way…

"I'll help," she murmurs with a smile and Hinata smiles, too.

Both Hinata and Sakura leave the other two women alone, lost in another directed conversation.

On the kitchen, Sakura's eyes gape at Hinata's belly, something that makes the dark-haired woman blush. She must be thinking about her own pregnancy, Hinata thinks, and sighs.

"Are you excited?" Hinata mutters. "For your pregnancy, and all."

Sakura nods, but tries to steer the conversation away from her. So she asks, "How many months are you exactly?"

Hinata smiles fondly at her round belly and sighs. "Nine."

"_Eh_? Already? Aren't you afraid?"

Hinata giggles. "I am… But why should you? You're a medical ninja."

The woman shrugs in response.

"Are you really having second thoughts about Sasuke?"

The question radiates through her ears and hits her with a pang of guilt. Leaning against the counter, Sakura looks awkwardly down at her knotted fingers and blushes. This shouldn't be something to think about—in fact, she shouldn't be having these second thoughts about her husband. For so long she had fought for him and waited for him. All those memories have served that purpose, but she continues to wonder about her reasons for loving a man like him. He seemed so cold, and so cruel in those memories… But he was young and here he is now trying to help her.

"I know it's wrong of me, but…" she pauses and finds Hinata's pale eyes. "There are things I don't understand right now."

"Like what?"

Sakura shrugs. "My feelings towards him."

Hinata places a single hand on her shoulder and smiles lightly. "You're not turning your back from him, Sakura. That should tell you something, correct?"

When Sakura's lips part, Hinata winces once more in pain and hunches forward, both hands on her belly. The painful groan the woman emits sends chills down to Sakura's spine as she helps the woman straighten her posture.

With erratic breathing, Hinata murmurs, "I think it's time."

#

"Just up ahead," Kiba whispers, "there's a strange odor coming from up there."

"And you're absolutely sure it isn't a skunk?" Ino snaps, wrinkling her nose.

"Do you people underestimate me this much?"

"Yes!" They say in unison, and it is Tenten who grips the collar of his jacket firmly, pulling him near her so that their foreheads press against each other.

"This better not be another fucking skunk, Kiba!" she snarls.

It was only fifteen minutes ago when the group had encountered such a creature lingering about. Tenten, Naruto and Ino were the victims of the horrible ordeal, and it was Sasuke who scolded Kiba and his very sensitive nose. Both males refrained from clashing, knowing that their mission was much more important than a horrible (and very dreadful) mistake. And now, the three ninja must bear with the stench, and it is both Sasuke, Rock Lee and Kiba who must not complain…

Now they are hiding behind tall bushes under the the shadows of the trees, all staring at Akins impassively.

"Thanks to you the enemy will know we're near," Naruto mumbles angrily.

Kiba lowers his head and then raises with angry eyes. "Hey, it isn't entirely my fault! Why didn't you idiots recognize the change of energy flow!"

Once again Tenten smacks the male and draws him close. "Oh, now we're idiots?"

Kiba's eyes widen as he sees Tenten's eyes darken under that impression. "Oh, you heard that?" he mutters nervously. If it's one thing he had come to learn from living among women for almost his entire life, is to never anger them. Of course… Women could be frightening when angry.

The female snarls. "Of course I did, you moron! My ears may have been damaged slightly before but I'm not entirely deaf!"

"Will you shut up for a minute," Sasuke snaps. "Dog-man is right… I sense a faint trace of chakra up ahead."

Lee scoffs. "_Dog-man?_"

Sasuke smirks. "Only a suitable name."

The dog handler closes his eyes briefly and furrows his brows. How did he end up in such an ordeal?

"That chakra…" Naruto mumbles. "I think that guy is dying."

"How can you be so sure, Naruto?" Lee asks.

"It's very faint… How far away are we from there, Kiba?"

"Only a few meters away," Kiba responds. "He has an awful smell."

"Well maybe," Ino starts, crossing her arms, "just maybe he encountered the same skunk."

The blonde glares at Kiba, and the male steps back a few steps.

"Hey, now, I said I was sorry."

"Enough with the damn skunk stories," Sasuke mutters. "We find this guy and make sure he doesn't die too quickly, you hear? If we can get at least one man back to Konoha for interrogation then our mission will be success."

"Not exactly a success," Tenten starts, "but at least we'll finally see what these terrorists are up to."

"Right," Ino says with a nod. "What's the best approach?"

"If he's injured, we should still approach carefully… He could be another bomber for all we know."

"Good thinking, Naruto," Rock Lee says. "I say we approach through the treetops, and three others should approach from the ground."

Sasuke nods. "Lee, Naruto, and Dog-Man will be on the ground. Ino, Tenten and I will be at the treetops. It'll be best. If the guy tries anything suspicious, Ino could hit the guy with her own jutsu, and Tenten would be able to spot any of those bombs. I'll be the shield, and once it's safe to move forward, the rest of you will attack."

"Hey, I have a name, you know," Kiba snaps.

"Alright, let's go," Sasuke says and with all their might, Tenten and Ino follow him up to the trees.

"Let's go," Naruto instructs.

The dog handler looks down to Akamaru and groans. "They never listen, do they?"

"We listened when you made us go towards the skunk!" Tenten hisses from the treetops. "Don't make me go back down there!"

#

The hospital is quiet, although the faint sounds of nurses mumbling away make way for open thoughts in Sakura's mind. Oh, yes, she remembers this scenery quite clearly… Her office is just ahead by the entrance, and she wonders how her student Aiko has been. Maybe now that she had regained memory of her healing methods could she come back to work here and continue to mentor her student. The girl has been asking a lot about teaching her 'earth destructing jutsu,' something that makes the woman smirk with pride. That girl could surpass even her one day, but who is to say? There are so many talented kids that have looked up to her with inspired hearts. Even now as she waits patiently in the lobby does she place her palm just over her belly with a sigh. This child she is carrying could even surpass her and her student.

"Sakura," Temari murmurs. "Do you think Hinata is alright?"

Sakura nods. "She's a strong woman. It's a shame, though, that Naruto isn't here now." She furrows her brows and sighs. "I wonder where they are now."

Temari shrugs. "Shikamaru and Chōji are with the Hokage… He didn't say much."

"Do you think there'll be another Kage Summit?" Karui murmurs. "Didn't they just have one five months ago?"

"Yes, but five months ago we weren't bombarded with crazy terrorists," Temari snaps. "I hope Gaara is doing okay."

"Come on," Sakura mutters. "The nurse over there wants us to follow her."

The ladies make their way across the floor, following a young brunette nurse through the hallway. She looks up fondly at Sakura, who smiles down at her.

"I'm glad you're better," she mutters. "It's been really boring here without you."

The pink-haired woman arches a brow in amusement. "You mean to entertain you with my fumbles?" she mutters with a laugh. "Must be very boring, then."

The young woman giggles and leads them through the maternity ward, stepping in rush-movement through confusing turns of hallways until ultimately stopping in front of a door.

PATIENT UZUMAKI, HINATA reads in bold print just at the door.

"She's ready to see you," the brunette says. "If there's anything you need—" she pauses to look at the beaming Sakura. "Well, you have her."

The women laugh lightly as they step into the room to see a pained Hinata lying on a stretcher. She's sweating, irritated, but still containing a light smile that makes the women's brows dip in sympathy.

"Hi," she breathes, and then squirms slightly. Oh, the pain is excruciating and so indescribable.

"How are you feeling, Hinata?" Temari asks first, settling herself just on the left side of the bed.

She woman shrugs in response. "I'll live," she says jokingly. "It's just all this pain… I feel like I'm going to split right in half."

Sakura's eyes widen. "Have they done anything to alleviate the pain?"

She nods. "Chakra flow," she murmurs. "Just a little bit since they're afraid it'll damage the baby."

Sakura sighs. "And close up the uterus," she murmurs to which Karui and Temari wince and shudder. Sakura laughs. "It's true. It'll repair the insides."

Temari holds up a palm. "So that means when I have a kid, I'll suffer like this?"

Sakura nods. "They give you some pain killers and fluids, but that's all you'll get. Chakra is meant to replenish and restore, so it'll make the experience more aggressive."

"Then I'm not having kids," both Karui and Temari protest in unison.

Sakura shakes her head. "How long has it been since you've had your period?"

Oh, they must really hate her now that she regained her memory, but they shrug. Surely a few days late means nothing…

"You should get tested," Sakura adds. "Would you like me to check?"

Temari shakes her head. "Of course not."

"Nope," Karui says.

_"Ugh!" _Hinata groans suddenly and tries to rise, but Karui holds her back down. "Where is Naruto?"

"Still on that damned mission," Karui snaps.

Sakura sighs. "Would you like some water? Something to munch on?"

Hinata shakes her head. "How can I eat when I'm like this?"

Sakura shrugs. "The naturalist way to replenish your energy," Sakura says. "Child birth lasts a very long time. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Hinata sighs. "Alright then," she mumbles.

#

"Do you guys feel that, or is it just me?" Naruto mumbles suddenly.

"What are you talking about? I don't feel anything," Kiba responds.

Lee follows behind them both. The three males run stealthily through the forest, trying to keep up with the ninja above them. The faint chakra that Naruto had come to feel has died off. Perhaps this person died… Or maybe it could be a trick. Either way, the ninja continues maneuvering through, avoiding bushes, rocks, or any dirty trick. Just a few minutes ago, paper bombs were located, though they did not detonate (thanks to the brunette Tenten).

While they continue to venture through and through, Naruto winces. There is something wrong, he thinks… He feels it directly hitting him at the base of his chest. What could it be?

"Focus, Naruto," Kiba mumbles.

Naruto nods. "I'm sorry, I just—I have a feeling."

"Hm," is Kiba's response. "Feel later, will you? The enemy is just up ahead."

"Right," Naruto says, "sorry."

"Stop!" Sasuke's voice reels them from their conversation, and all of them halt in place.

Without warning, Sasuke and the other two women come down from the trees. That faint stench the skunk had brought to them still radiates in the air, but all of the, had become accustomed to the disgusting smell.

"That bastard died," Sasuke says distastefully. "What now? I can't sense anything anymore."

"The body is useful for many things," Lee says. "We could always carry him back."

"But what if it's a trap?" Kiba adds. "All of us could die."

Tenten huffs a low breath. "I'll go see."

Naruto shakes his head. "No way, we can't just risk it."

Ino shrugs. "That's our job, Naruto… You know that. And if you're going to be leading us one day, then you should be full aware of that yourself."

Naruto nods. "Yes, but… I just…"

"What is it, Naruto?" Sasuke asks.

"I feel _strange._"

"What do you mean?" Ino beckons.

"I feel like something is off… I don't know how to explain it."

Tenten groans. "Make up your damn minds before i march out there and see for myself."

"Tenten is right," Lee inquires. "We can't go back without something."

Tenten nods. "Alright then."

The brunette proceeds to grab a kunai from her pack and looks up to face the impassive stares of the others. She sighs, knowing that they may be concerned for her safety, and the warnings rom Naruto, but she has always been this reckless. This is her job, after all, and sacrificing herself for the good of the village is one thing she will do proudly.

"I'll be back for sure," Tenten mumbles, hoping that this would alleviate their worries, but they remain still, even Sasuke who for a long time remained so cold.

"Thank you," the man mutters suddenly. "For doing this."

Tenten smirks. "Sakura is my friend, too," she says before pushing off against the ground and landing on the closest branch above.

* * *

><p><strong>*Note.<strong>

_So much is going on already: Sakura's having doubts, Hinata is going through labor and to top it off, Tenten is risking her life for the benefit of Konoha! I wanted to add her here doing much more than just gossip since Tenten is one of my favorite characters. Anyway, I brought back some humor to lighten things up-poor Naruto, Ino and Tenten for getting sprayed with a skunk LOL._

_Also, how great is it that Sakura founded a Children's Hospital?! Oh, if only I knew that she did, I could have added that earlier in the story! _

_Anyway, thank you guys for your patience, follows and awesome reviews! I hope to start writing longer chapters as I've done so before. :)_

_- FoF_

_[Last Updated: Sunday 03-29-15]_


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